South Korea’s imports of golf equipment rose to a record high in the first 10 months of this year on the back of strong demand amid the pandemic, customs data showed.

The imports of golf clubs and other related equipment reached $601 million in the January-October period, up 29.3 percent from the previous year, according to data from the Korea Customs Service.

The reading hit an all-time high for any first 10-month period of the year. It was also higher than the yearly imports of golf products for the whole of 2020, valued at $542 million.

The increase in imports has come as more people view golf as a relatively safe sport amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the customs agency. (Yonhap)