-Generative AI usage nearly doubles; one in three internet users have tried it
-Subscription services and cross-border shopping on the rise, signaling digital economy growth
The Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Yoo Sang-im, hereinafter “MSIT”) has released the results of the 2024 Internet Usage Survey, which analyzed the internet environment and usage trends among Korean households and individuals.
The survey examined internet access environments (computer and mobile), usage rates, usage patterns (time spent and purpose), and engagement with key services such as AI, video streaming, and internet banking.
In 2024, the rapid development and growing accessibility of AI technologies led to their broader adoption across various sectors. As a result, changes in how people use the internet have become more apparent. The survey provides insights into internet usage in the age of AI and evolving trends in the digital economy.
AI service usage has grown steadily, with 60.3% of respondents in 2024 reporting experience—up from 32.4% in 2021 (42.4% in 2022, 50.8% in 2023).
Satisfaction was highest in the transportation sector, particularly in autonomous driving (98.3%).
AI was seen as most necessary—and most likely to be used in the future—in areas related to residential convenience, such as household robots and smart home appliances (78.2% saw it as necessary, and 58.7% expressed willingness to use it).
Experience with generative AI services nearly doubled from 17.6% in 2023 to 33.3% in 2024.
Top use cases included:
– Simple information searches (81.9%, ↑2.4 percentage points)
– Document drafting and editing (44.4%, ↑7.7pp)
– Foreign language translation (40.0%, ↑11.3pp)
– Creative and hobby-related activities (15.2%, ↑6.6pp)
– Coding and software development (6.3%, ↑1.5pp)
The subscription economy is gaining traction across the digital landscape, replacing one-time purchases with regular subscriptions for goods and services such as groceries, OTT streaming platforms, and software.
The share of internet users utilizing subscription services for online purchases surged from 13.1% in 2023 to 49.4% in 2024—an increase of nearly 3.8 times.
This trend was driven primarily by younger generations, with usage rising by 43.6 percentage points among teens, 40 points among those in their twenties, and 37 points among those in their thirties.
Cross-border online shopping is also on the rise, fueled by the entry of global platforms like AliExpress and Temu into the Korean market.
The proportion of internet users making overseas purchases grew from 20% in 2023 to 34.3% in 2024—a 1.7-fold increase.
Usage was highest among those in their thirties (47.2%), followed by users in their twenties (43.5%) and forties (36.8%).
In particular, users in their twenties and thirties saw sharp increases of 17.9 and 18.8 percentage points, respectively, highlighting their active participation in cross-border e-commerce.
The household internet access rate remained steady at 99.97% in 2024, while the internet usage rate among individuals aged three and older rose by 0.5 percentage points to 94.5%.
Among internet users, 90.5% reported going online at least once per day, with an average weekly usage time of 20.5 hours.
By region, Daegu recorded the highest internet usage rate at 97.5%, while Gangwon had the lowest at 88.9%.
Regarding specific services, 97.7% of internet users reported using instant messaging platforms, with KakaoTalk being the most widely used (98.0%).
Video streaming services were also highly popular, with a usage rate of 95.4%. Among streaming platforms, one-person media channels (e.g., personal YouTube channels) were the most frequently accessed, cited by 68.3% of users.
Regarding the survey, Eom Yeol, Director-General for ICT Policy at MSIT, stated:
“AI is no longer a novel technology—it has become a fundamental part of everyday life. We will continue to identify and pursue a wide range of policy measures, such as strengthening user competence and promoting ethical use, to help ensure AI services are meaningfully integrated into people’s daily lives.”
The 2024 Internet Usage Survey covered 25,509 households and 60,229 individuals aged three and older nationwide. The full results are available on the official websites of the Ministry of Science and ICT (www.msit.go.kr) and the National Information Society Agency (www.nia.or.kr).
For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division (Phone: +82-44-202-4034, E-mail: msitmedia@korea.kr) of the Ministry of Science and ICT.
※ Please refer to the attached PDF.