KakaoTalk dominates South Korea’s social media market with a 98.9% adoption rate among adults, surpassing both YouTube and Instagram, according to new research from the Korea Press Foundation, cited by The Korea Times.
The foundation’s survey of 3,000 Korean adults revealed that YouTube claims the second position with 84.9% usage, while Instagram ranks third with 38.6%. Naver’s Band and Blog platforms round out the top five with 28.6% and 21.7% adoption rates, respectively.
The findings highlight KakaoTalk’s emergence as a uniquely Korean phenomenon. Launched in March 2010 by KAKAO Inc., KakaoTalk was the world’s first mobile messaging app and played a pivotal role in transforming Korean digital communication.
Features-rich App Appeals to Korean Urban Culture
Research from Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia indicates that KakaoTalk’s success stems from its ability to blend messaging, gaming, and storytelling in ways that resonate with Korean urban culture.
The app’s group chat feature has become particularly essential for young Koreans navigating busy urban lives. Interview data reveals users spend an average of 43 minutes daily on KakaoTalk, sending over 150 messages. The platform serves as both a communication tool and a social gaming hub through popular titles like Anipang, attracting 10 million daily players.
Age demographics significantly influence platform preferences beyond the top two apps. Instagram captures 80.9% of users in their 20s, 70.7% of those in their 30s, and 47.5% of users in their 40s. However, Naver’s Band emerges as the third choice among older demographics, reaching 40.6% of users in their 50s and 31.1% in their 60s.
The research also reveals concerning trends in news consumption. Among social media news readers, 31.6% reported being unaware of news sources, and over 45% acknowledged not checking media outlet names. Only 22.5% of users verify news sources, with younger demographics showing higher verification rates than older users.
Compared to the United States, Pew Research Center research revealed that 21% of Americans regularly receive news from social media creators. The trend is particularly pronounced among younger adults, as 37% of those between 18 and 29 regularly turn to these creators for news content.
KakaoTalk dominates South Korea’s social media market with a 98.9% adoption rate among adults, surpassing both YouTube and Instagram, according to new research from the Korea Press Foundation, cited by The Korea Times.
The foundation’s survey of 3,000 Korean adults revealed that YouTube claims the second position with 84.9% usage, while Instagram ranks third with 38.6%. Naver’s Band and Blog platforms round out the top five with 28.6% and 21.7% adoption rates, respectively.
The findings highlight KakaoTalk’s emergence as a uniquely Korean phenomenon. Launched in March 2010 by KAKAO Inc., KakaoTalk was the world’s first mobile messaging app and played a pivotal role in transforming Korean digital communication.
Features-rich App Appeals to Korean Urban Culture
Research from Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia indicates that KakaoTalk’s success stems from its ability to blend messaging, gaming, and storytelling in ways that resonate with Korean urban culture.
The app’s group chat feature has become particularly essential for young Koreans navigating busy urban lives. Interview data reveals users spend an average of 43 minutes daily on KakaoTalk, sending over 150 messages. The platform serves as both a communication tool and a social gaming hub through popular titles like Anipang, attracting 10 million daily players.
Age demographics significantly influence platform preferences beyond the top two apps. Instagram captures 80.9% of users in their 20s, 70.7% of those in their 30s, and 47.5% of users in their 40s. However, Naver’s Band emerges as the third choice among older demographics, reaching 40.6% of users in their 50s and 31.1% in their 60s.
The research also reveals concerning trends in news consumption. Among social media news readers, 31.6% reported being unaware of news sources, and over 45% acknowledged not checking media outlet names. Only 22.5% of users verify news sources, with younger demographics showing higher verification rates than older users.
Compared to the United States, Pew Research Center research revealed that 21% of Americans regularly receive news from social media creators. The trend is particularly pronounced among younger adults, as 37% of those between 18 and 29 regularly turn to these creators for news content.