According to The Chosunilbo, this is the first time since avian flu broke out at a duck farm in North Jeolla Province on 17 January that sales have picked up, apparently because poultry meal is the most popular snack in Korea while watching sporting events on TV.

In Lotte Mart supermarkets, sales of cooked chicken rose 22 per cent, raw chicken 11 per cent, duck meat 31 per cent, and eggs 23 per cent on-year between 10 February - right after the opening of the Sochi Olympics on 7 February - until Sunday.

On 2-8 February, by contrast, sales of cooked chicken dropped 19 per cent, raw chicken 24 per cent, duck meat 13 per cent and eggs 12 per cent, while demand for beef and pork rose.