Throughput of freight containers in 2012 rose 4.1% compared with the previous year at South Korean ports. Most of the increase was due to transhipment cargo, but export and import traffic were 1.9% higher. Busan, the largest port, reported a 5.5% increase in container volumes as the largest cargo-transfer centre, but Gwangyang’s increase was based on higher imports by major cargo owners from the hinterland