Television Ads Falter as Digital Spending Accelerates in Korea (Image supported by ChatGPT)
SEOUL, Jan. 9 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s advertising market continued its shift toward digital platforms in 2024, with online ad spending rising sharply while traditional broadcast advertising declined, according to a joint report released Thursday by regulators and industry officials.
Data from the Korea Communications Commission and the Korea Broadcast Advertising Corporation showed that online advertising spending reached 10.1 trillion won ($7.6 billion) in 2024, up 7.9 percent from a year earlier. By contrast, broadcast advertising fell 5 percent to 3.22 trillion won, reflecting the ongoing erosion of television’s dominance in the advertising market.
Total spending on advertising across broadcasting and communications media amounted to 17.13 trillion won, equivalent to about 0.75 percent of gross domestic product, a 3.5 percent increase from the previous year. Online platforms accounted for 59 percent of the market, far surpassing broadcast advertising’s 18.8 percent share. Newspaper and magazine advertising made up 11.6 percent, while outdoor advertising accounted for 7.4 percent.
The decline in broadcast advertising was broad-based, with ad revenues falling for all broadcasters except cable system operators. Industry officials expect the trend to persist, forecasting broadcast ad spending to drop nearly 14 percent in 2025, while online advertising is projected to grow another 6 percent.
The report also highlighted advertisers’ growing interest in streaming platforms. In its first survey of advertiser perceptions of over-the-top (OTT) advertising, conducted among 153 companies, regulators found that precise audience targeting was the primary reason brands chose OTT ads, followed by platform influence and brand-content fit.
Advertisers rated OTT platforms highly for media impact and reliability but expressed weaker satisfaction with cost efficiency and message delivery. Half of companies that placed OTT ads in 2024 used Netflix or Tving, and nearly two-thirds of advertisers planning OTT campaigns in 2025 said they intended to advertise on Netflix.
The findings underscore a structural realignment of South Korea’s advertising market, as marketers increasingly prioritize data-driven digital platforms over traditional broadcast channels in a fragmented media environment.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
