Smartphone users in South Korea spend an average of 40 hours per month watching YouTube, nearly doubling in five years, according to an industry analysis report.
WiseApp announced on Mar. 4 that the average YouTube app usage per person increased from 21 hours in January 2019 to 40 hours in January last year. This equates to almost two full days of YouTube viewing per individual each month. Total YouTube app usage time for Koreans also reached a record high of 111.9 billion minutes in January, surpassing the previous record of 51.9 billion minutes set in January 2019.
YouTube has already claimed the top spot in the domestic mobile app market in terms of user base. According to Mobile Index, in December, YouTube recorded 45.65 million monthly active users (MAU), surpassing KakaoTalk, known as the “national messenger,” with 45.54 million users, and has been widening the gap since.
YouTube is experiencing particularly rapid growth in South Korea. As of 2023, the average monthly YouTube app usage time for Americans is around 24 hours, and the global average, excluding China, slightly surpasses 23 hours. This is approximately 60% of the level in South Korea.
YouTube’s rapid growth in South Korea is attributed to Shorts. Launched in July 2021 to compete with China’s TikTok, Shorts has been praised for targeting Generation Z (born in the mid-1990s to early 2000s) with its concise editing style and short format. Since February last year, Shorts creators have also been able to generate advertising revenue, leading to an influx of more content.
An industry insider in the domestic internet sector explained, “In South Korea, compared to other countries, the popularity of TikTok is relatively lower, which is why YouTube Shorts is monopolizing popularity.” Indeed, in the global social media market, Facebook leads in user numbers, while TikTok leads in usage time. However, in contrast, in South Korea, YouTube ranks first in both user numbers and usage time.
YouTube also serves as a new search engine for the younger generation. As the volume of video content on YouTube grows, there is an increasing trend among users to find the information they need directly on the platform. According to Opensurvey, YouTube recorded 79.9% in the service used by internet users aged 15 to 59 to search for what they are curious about, surpassing Google (65.8%) and closely trailing behind Naver (87%), which ranked first. The age group that searches for information on YouTube the most is between 10 and 20 years old.
However, concerns persist about YouTube delving into various aspects of Koreans’ lives and leading to serious side effects. Criticism particularly revolves around the spread of misinformation and hate speech through YouTube, which is accused of fueling extreme political and social polarization. Additionally, YouTube’s dominance in the video market has extended to the music distribution and shopping markets. By offering YouTube Music for free to YouTube Premium subscribers, YouTube rose to the top spot in the domestic music market at the end of last year.
