Mobile gaming in South Korea - statistics & facts

In 2022, mobile gaming was the most successful video game platform globally, accounting for half of all video game revenue that year. Alongside their global prevalence, mobile games have also proven their popularity in South Korea, with around 63 percent of Koreans stating that they played mobile games in a 2022 survey. The South Korean mobile gaming market was estimated to have generated sales worth nearly 14 trillion South Korean won that year.

Microtransactions in mobile video games

Around 40 percent of Korean mobile gamers purchased in-game items, according to a 2022 survey. Around one in three consumers who had paid for in-game items spent between ten thousand and 30 thousand won, while one in four spent more than that. This may include various things, ranging from aesthetic items to objects that aid with gameplay or gifts for friends. It can also include using real currency to buy in-game currency rather than buying items directly with real money. Credit cards were the most common method of paying for microtransactions in mobile games.

Consumer spending and popularity of mobile game genres

According to the same survey, puzzle games were the most popular genre of mobile games in South Korea. However, consumers spent the most money on massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) rather than puzzle games. A 2022 survey among Korean mobile gamers found that the leading reasons for spending money on in-game items included quickly gaining access to a needed item or character as well as faster leveling up. MMORPGs are generally heavily designed around level progression, which unlocks new content, items, characters, and actions, both for gameplay and aesthetic purposes. As such, there is more incentive to spend money on such games.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Feb 2, 2024

Key insights

Size of the domestic gaming market
21tr KRW
Mobile gaming market annual growth rate
12.2%
Share of mobile gaming in gaming industry
58%
Get more insights

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Consumer spending on mobile games in South Korea from 2018 to 2021 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Mobile Gaming

Mobile games consumer expenditure South Korea 2018-2021

Share of South Koreans playing games from 2015 to 2023

Video Gaming & eSports

Share of gamers South Korea 2015-2023

Types of platforms used by gamers in South Korea as of July 2023

eSports

Platforms used by gamers South Korea 2023

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Overview

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Microtransactions

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Microtransactions

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Digital media usage in South Korea
Digital media usage in South Korea

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