Internet cafe (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 17 (Korea Bizwire) – The percentage of South Koreans who play video games has dropped below 60% for the first time in a decade, marking a significant decline from its peak during the COVID-19 pandemic when nearly three-quarters of the population were gaming.
According to a new survey released on December 16 by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), only 59.9% of respondents (5,988 people) reported playing video games in the past year.
The findings, based on a survey of 10,000 citizens, show a 3 percentage point decrease from 2023 and represent the lowest level since KOCCA began tracking these statistics in 2015.
The survey reveals a clear pattern in gaming trends over the past decade. From 2015 to 2019, the proportion of gamers in South Korea consistently ranged around 60% and 70%, starting at 74.5% in 2015 and then dipping to reach a low of 65.7% in 2019.
During the pandemic, these numbers rose significantly, reaching 70.5% in 2020, 71.3% in 2021, and peaking at 74.4% in 2022. However, as pandemic restrictions eased in 2023, participation dropped sharply to 62.9% before falling below the 60% threshold in the latest survey.
A separate study of 8,000 active gamers showed shifting preferences in gaming platforms. Mobile gaming continues to dominate, with 91.7% of respondents playing mobile games, up 7.1 percentage points from the previous year.
Console gaming saw modest growth, increasing 2.6 percentage points to 26.7%. Meanwhile, PC gaming experienced a significant decline, dropping 7.2 percentage points to 53.8%.
The survey also found that players are spending more time gaming, with average daily play time increasing by 12 minutes for both weekday and weekend sessions, reaching 171 and 253 minutes, respectively. While PC and mobile gaming times increased, console gaming showed a decrease in duration.
In a new addition to this year’s survey, researchers examined indie game participation, finding that 28% of respondents had played indie games – typically defined as games developed by individuals or small teams with limited budgets.
Players cited several reasons for choosing indie games, including “light and convenient game concepts” (54.4%), “fresh subject matter” (49.3%), “simple controls” (34.8%), and “short play sessions” (22%).
The comprehensive survey was conducted between June 25 and October 8, with a margin of error of ±1.0 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. KOCCA will release the full report on its website (www.kocca.kr) on December 30.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
