South Korea plans to import 53 tons of mask filters through June to resolve a face mask supply shortage in the country.
According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the first batch of 2.5 tons of melt-blown filters will arrive here next week.
The COVID-19 epidemic has caused a shortage of protective masks and their materials as demand for masks has soared.
Starting last week, the government has been running a new system for distributing face masks to the public depending on their year of birth.
South Korea's daily production of masks currently stands around 13 million sheets, up sharply from 3 million estimated in 2019.■
<Photo: Yonhap News>
