South Korea's imports of party supplies, such as decorations and balloons, hit a record-high through November this year, customs data showed Thursday, as the country has lifted social-distancing rules.

The combined imports of party supplies over the January-November period came to $64 million, up 31.7 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the Korea Customs Service.

The amount far exceeds $56 million tallied for all of 2021.

The growth came as people hosted various parties, gatherings, and festivals that had been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the office said.

In particular, imports of Christmas-themed supplies totaled $36.5 million, up 15.9 percent from a year earlier, the data showed.

China-made items accounted for 94 percent of overall imports of party supplies over the period, followed by those from the United States with 4 percent. (Yonhap)