Partitions are set up between treadmills in a gym in western Seoul on Jan. 7, 2021, as part of antivirus efforts. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 13 (Korea Bizwire) — Despite the spread of the coronavirus, the number of new fitness centers reached an all-time high last year, data showed Tuesday.
The number of new fitness centers that opened last year totaled 1,329, the highest since related statistics were first compiled in 1989, according to statistics from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
The number of new fitness centers has been on an upward trend for two straight years following 887 in 2018 and 1,109 in 2019.
In contrast, closures of fitness centers fell for two straight years, sliding to 425 in 2020 from 435 in 2019 and 441 in 2018.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence of the work-life balance culture is contributing to an increase in the number of new fitness centers.
By region, Gyeonggi Province ranked first last year in terms of the number of new fitness center openings with 357, followed by Seoul with 353 and Busan with 106.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
