Digital media usage in South Korea - statistics & facts

According to a survey conducted in South Korea in 2021, the internet was the most used medium on a daily basis. South Korea famously has a strong and widespread internet infrastructure, which allows for high internet penetration rates. Mobile internet also enjoys high popularity, with the country boasting one of the highest global mobile internet penetration rates. The media landscape has shifted to prefer digital over physical access to many forms of media. Alongside the shift of traditional media such as television and news increasingly being accessed via digital means, new forms of media have been created or entirely transformed due to the rise of the internet.

Communication and entertainment at the forefront of the digital media age

Among the leading reasons for using the internet was communication. The ability to reach anybody instantly no matter where they are as long as you have internet access and contact information has revolutionized interpersonal communication. This also plays a part in the popularity of social media, in which social interaction, whether with personal contacts or online content creators is considered an important aspect. Another major use of the internet was access to entertainment media. The entertainment industry has been quick to adapt to the new digital landscape. Many traditional forms of entertainment media such as music and video-related entertainment, including film and online video, now offer various forms of digital access. At the same time, the entertainment industry has given rise to whole new forms of media in the digital age.

Mobile gaming in the digital age

Some industries have created entirely new markets based on this shift towards all things digital. One example of particular note in South Korea is the mobile gaming market. While gaming, especially online gaming, is generally popular within the country, mobile games are the most popular gaming platform. Mobile games enjoy a high frequency of use, with around 85 percent of South Koreans playing games on their mobile phones at least once a week. Driven by the widespread use of smartphones and high internet penetration, common reasons for playing mobile games include convenience and passing the time. This has also proven to be profitable for game developers, as an increasing amount of gamers spend money on in-game microtransactions even when the game itself is free to play.
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, Jun 8, 2022

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