US retail giant Walmart has denied reports it will never use Korean shipping lines again following the Hanjin Shipping collapse.

The company was badly hit as cargoes were stuck on containerships when Hanjin went bust last year, after Korean state banks pulled the plug.

The Korea Times and Korea Economic Daily cited industrial sources as saying Walmart sent an email in December to Hanjin in the US stating:  "Thank you for doing business with us.