The volume of container cargo processed at South Korea's seaports rose 5.7 percent on-year in April amid hope for global recovery from the economic fallout of the new coronavirus pandemic, the country's oceans ministry said Sunday.

Container cargo processed at the seaports reached 2.58 million twenty-foot-equivalent units (TEUs) in April, compared with 2.44 million TEUs, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

Processed export-import container cargo jumped 6.3 percent on-year to reach 1.48 million TEUs in April on the back of improved trade with the United States.

Export cargo jumped 8 percent to 720,000 TEUs, and imports also advanced 4.8 percent to 760,000 TEUs.

The ministry said that despite economic uncertainties stemming from the pandemic, the volume of export-import cargo is expected to further grow down the road as major countries are rolling out stimulus measures.

Global COVID-19 inoculation projects are also set to lend a hand to the recovery of business activities, the ministry added. (Yonhap)