Overseas direct purchases made by South Koreans reached an all-time annual high of US$1.54 billion in 2014, as consumers sought better bargains and a wider choice of products, the customs service said Friday.
The total represents a 39 percent increase compared to $1.04 billion brought in from abroad in 2013, the Korea Customs Service (KCS) said. It said the total number of items purchased last year reached 15,530 from 11,159 in 2013.