Online shopping transactions in South Korea hit a record high in 2021, surpassing 190 trillion won.

According to Statistics Korea on Thursday, online shopping transactions totaled 192-point-nine trillion won last year, up 21 percent from a year earlier. The annual amount is the highest since the agency began compiling relevant data in 2001.

Reflecting social distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic, online purchases of food delivery reached a record 25-point-seven trillion won, up 48-point-two percent on-year.

Online transactions for culture and leisure services rose 43-point-one percent on-year, while those for travel and transportation expanded 13-point-eight percent.

Purchases made through smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices rose 27-point-six percent on-year to a record 138-point-two trillion won, with mobile shopping accounting for 71-point-six percent of total online purchases.

Direct online purchases of products from overseas vendors also hit a record five-point-one trillion won in 2021, up 26-point-four percent from the previous year.