Jet fuel consumption in South Korea jumped nearly 20 percent last year as travel demand soared following the removal of social distancing measures.

According to data from the state-run Korea National Oil Corporation on Sunday, the country's jet fuel consumption came to 25-point-27 million barrels in 2022, up 19-point-four percent from a year earlier.

The increase is attributed to the lifting of social distancing measures.

Jet fuel consumption in the country, which reached 38-point-83 million barrels in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic, plunged 44 percent on-year to 21-point-23 million barrels in 2020.

The tally further declined to 21-point-17 million barrels in 2021 before turning around in 2022.

Meanwhile, the country's gasoline consumption came to 88-point-34 million barrels last year, up four-point-one percent from a year earlier despite high oil prices.