According to a survey conducted in South Korea in 2024, Instagram was one of the most popular social media platforms in South Korea, with around **** percent of survey respondents in that year stating that they used it the most frequently out of all the other social media services provided in the country. The former leader was Facebook, which, together with Instagram and WhatsApp belongs to Meta. Social media in South Korea The number of Instagram users have continuously increased, while Facebook's user numbers had declined. Instagram seems to be widely used by Koreans aged under ** years old, with the share of active users dropping significantly after this age. Facebook, a social media giant, which had a largely increased usage penetration in 2020, had recently come under scrutiny for its user privacy policies. User penetration has declined since then.On-the-go media Social media networks are becoming more and more mobile. Globally, mobile social media users have been increasing, and will continue to do so into the foreseeable future. South Korea is not excluded from this trend - the country leads the world in terms of mobile phone penetration. With South Korea’s smartphone ownership rate at ** percent, the success of social media services in the country looks likely to be determined by how well received they are in the mobile app market.

According to a survey conducted by Rakuten Insight in South Korea in 2025 on social commerce, close to **** percent of respondents answered that they used Instagram for purchases during the last 12 months. YouTube followed with a response share of around ** percent.

According to a survey conducted in South Korea in 2023, around ** percent of respondents aged between 18 and 24 years old stated that they were using social media. The share of social media users increased across most age groups compared to the previous year. Facebook and Instagram While domestic social media networks like Kakao Story or Naver Band enjoy wide popularity in South Korea, Instagram was the most frequently used social media in South Korea, overtaking Facebook. As of March 2024, Instagram had around **** million users, while Facebook had about **** million users in South Korea alone. Nevertheless, the popularity of Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, is undeniable, especially among younger generations. While the number of Facebook users is decreasing, the number of Instagram users is increasing. Social media usageThe majority of users were using social media for its original purpose: socializing. It was also popular to check posts or contents created by other users of the same social media platform. A 2024 survey found that ** percent of respondents aged 25 to 34 years stated that they used social media to read news. While the platform of choice differed, YouTube was the most common social media platform used for news.

South Korea Social Media Management Market is expected to grow during 2025-2031

The number of social media advertising users in South Korea stood at around 46.6 million in 2023. This number was forecasted to continuously increase between 2023 and 2028 by around 2.6 percent. After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the number of social media advertising users was estimated to reach 47.77 million users and therefore a new peak in 2028.

Korean Companies’ SNS Analytics Data provides important information to analyze consumer opinions and trends on social media. This data includes social media posts, comments, and likes. Collected from platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, it helps investors analyze consumer sentiment, evaluate brand awareness, and optimize marketing strategies, helping in the valuation of Korean companies based on their social media presence and consumer engagement.

According to a survey conducted in South Korea in 2025, around ** percent of respondents stated that they use YouTube as a news source. This was followed by the South Korean messenger app KakaoTalk at ** percent. Relative low trust in news The usage rate of YouTube as a news source was especially high for South Koreans aged between 55 years and older. Meanwhile, around one in five South Koreans stated that they trusted news on social media. All in all, South Koreans were found to be rather skeptic of news in their country. A survey by Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism found that the share of South Koreans who trust the news was relatively low. News consumption  According to the South Korean government, the share of news readers in South Korea fell from around **** percent in 2011 to around **** percent in 2021. The share was especially low for South Korean aged 60 years and above, and especially high for South Koreans in their thirties. Meanwhile, the share of online newspaper readers among news readers increased up to **** percent in 2021.

South Korea digital advertising and social media market valued at USD 6.5 billion, driven by smartphone penetration, e-commerce rise, and social media usage, with growth in video and influencer marketing.

South Korea Internet Usage: Social Media Market Share: All Platforms: Youku data was reported at 0.000 % in 30 Mar 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.010 % for 29 Mar 2024. South Korea Internet Usage: Social Media Market Share: All Platforms: Youku data is updated daily, averaging 0.010 % from Mar 2024 (Median) to 30 Mar 2024, with 9 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.030 % in 26 Mar 2024 and a record low of 0.000 % in 30 Mar 2024. South Korea Internet Usage: Social Media Market Share: All Platforms: Youku data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statcounter Global Stats. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Korea – Table KR.SC.IU: Internet Usage: Social Media Market Share.

South Korea Internet Usage: Social Media Market Share: Mobile: Sina Weibo data was reported at 0.000 % in 25 Dec 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.040 % for 24 Dec 2024. South Korea Internet Usage: Social Media Market Share: Mobile: Sina Weibo data is updated daily, averaging 0.000 % from Jul 2024 (Median) to 25 Dec 2024, with 55 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.070 % in 06 Dec 2024 and a record low of 0.000 % in 25 Dec 2024. South Korea Internet Usage: Social Media Market Share: Mobile: Sina Weibo data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statcounter Global Stats. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Korea – Table KR.SC.IU: Internet Usage: Social Media Market Share.

*********************** and *********************************************** are the top two answers among South Korean consumers in our survey on the subject of "Most common social media activities".The survey was conducted online among 13,014 respondents in South Korea, in 2025.

South Korea Digital Advertising and Programmatic Media Market valued at USD 7.6 billion, driven by smartphone penetration, social media, e-commerce, and AI technologies for enhanced ad effectiveness.

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Social Media Listening Market Size 2025-2029

The social media listening market size is forecast to increase by USD 4.87 billion at a CAGR of 8.9% between 2024 and 2029.

The market is experiencing significant growth, driven primarily by the increasing usage of social media platforms worldwide. With over 4.3 billion users as of 2021, social media has become a powerful tool for businesses to engage with their customers and gain valuable insights into consumer behavior and preferences. A key trend in this market is the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) technologies in social media listening solutions, enabling more accurate and efficient data analysis. However, this market is not without challenges. Data privacy and regulatory compliance are becoming increasingly important, with stricter regulations being implemented to protect user data.
Companies must ensure they have strong data security measures in place to comply with these regulations and maintain consumer trust. Additionally, the vast amount of data generated on social media requires sophisticated analytics tools to extract meaningful insights. As such, businesses seeking to capitalize on the opportunities presented by the market must invest in advanced analytics solutions and prioritize data security and privacy. By doing so, they can effectively navigate the challenges and stay ahead of the competition.

What will be the Size of the Social Media Listening Market during the forecast period?

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Social media listening has emerged as a crucial business tool, enabling organizations to gain valuable insights from the vast amount of data generated through social media activity. This data is analyzed using techniques such as topic modeling and sentiment scoring to understand consumer behavior, preferences, and trends. Social media geographics and demographics provide essential context, while social media reach and volume measure the scope and impact of conversations. Social media pulse and sentiment reflect the current sentiment and buzz surrounding specific topics, offering real-time insights into market dynamics and trends.
Social media listening software is a vital component of the global market for social media analytics. Social media influence is assessed through the size and engagement of an audience, providing valuable information for marketing and brand management strategies. The social media landscape and heatmap offer a comprehensive view of the social media ecosystem, helping businesses stay informed and adapt to evolving patterns.

How is this Social Media Listening Industry segmented?

The social media listening industry research report provides comprehensive data (region-wise segment analysis), with forecasts and estimates in 'USD million' for the period 2025-2029, as well as historical data from 2019-2023 for the following segments.

Type

  Software
  Services


End-user

  Retail and e-commerce
  IT and telecom
  BFSI
  Media and entertainment
  Others


Geography

  North America

    US
    Canada


  Europe

    France
    Germany
    UK


  Middle East and Africa



  APAC

    China
    India
    Japan
    South Korea


  South America

    Brazil


  Rest of World (ROW)

By Type Insights

The software segment is estimated to witness significant growth during the forecast period. This segment encompasses platforms and tools that offer real-time, automated, and scalable capabilities to monitor and analyze social media conversations across various channels such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Reddit. Real-time monitoring is a key feature of these solutions, empowering brands to identify mentions, trends, and sentiment as they emerge. By staying abreast of evolving topics, businesses can respond promptly to customer concerns, capitalize on viral events, and maintain a strong online presence. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) technologies are integral to social media listening software, enabling advanced topic identification, sentiment analysis, and trend recognition.

These technologies enable businesses to gain valuable customer insights, inform product development, and enhance customer experience. Social media listening platforms also offer data visualization and reporting features, allowing businesses to analyze and present their findings in a clear and actionable manner. Additionally, they provide social media dashboards, alerts, and governance tools to ensure compliance with social media policies and ethical standards. In summary, social media listening software plays a pivotal role in the global market for social media analytics, offering real-time insights and advanced capabilities to help businesses navigate the complex social media landscape and engage effectively with their audience.

Get a glance at the market report of share of v

As of February 2025, online video giant YouTube had a total potential advertising reach of around ** percent of the total population in South Korea. This put them far ahead of other social media platforms' potential ad reach, with Instagram coming in second at about ** percent of the population.

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Social Networking Market Size 2025-2029

The social networking market size is forecast to increase by USD 312.3 billion, at a CAGR of 21.6% between 2024 and 2029.

Major Market Trends & Insights

North America dominated the market and accounted for a 41% growth during the forecast period.
By the Type - Advertising segment was valued at USD 80.70 billion in 2023
By the Distribution Channel - Google segment accounted for the largest market revenue share in 2023

Market Size & Forecast

Market Opportunities: USD 318.56 billion
Market Future Opportunities: USD 312.30 billion 
CAGR : 21.6%
North America: Largest market in 2023

Market Summary

The market continues to expand its reach and influence across various industries, with businesses recognizing its potential for customer engagement and brand awareness. According to recent studies, there are approximately 4.66 billion active social media users worldwide, representing a 13% increase from 2020. This growth is driven by the increased internet penetration and the popularity of social media platforms for personal and professional use. Social media advertisements have become a significant revenue source, with businesses investing heavily in targeted campaigns to reach their audiences.
However, privacy concerns remain a challenge, with users increasingly cautious about sharing personal information online. Despite this, the market's continuous evolution and the emergence of new trends, such as live streaming and virtual events, ensure its ongoing relevance and importance for businesses.

What will be the Size of the Social Networking Market during the forecast period?

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The market exhibits consistent growth, with current usage accounting for approximately 3.6 billion users worldwide, representing a significant 4.5% increase year-over-year. Looking ahead, industry experts anticipate a continued expansion, with projections indicating a 5.2% annual growth rate. Notably, mobile devices account for over 90% of social media usage, underscoring the importance of optimizing platforms for this medium. Furthermore, businesses increasingly leverage social networking for marketing purposes, with advertising revenue reaching an estimated USD 84.3 billion in 2021. In comparison, the time spent on social media platforms per day has risen by 45 minutes since 2019, highlighting the growing influence of these channels on consumer behavior.
This trend is further accentuated by the integration of advanced features, such as live streaming, video content, and AI-driven recommendations, which enhance user engagement and monetization opportunities.

How is this Social Networking Industry segmented?

The social networking industry research report provides comprehensive data (region-wise segment analysis), with forecasts and estimates in 'USD billion' for the period 2025-2029, as well as historical data from 2019-2023 for the following segments.

Type

  Advertising
  In-app purchase
  Paid apps


Distribution Channel

  Google
  Apple
  App Store Distribution


Service

  Communication
  Entertainment
  Socialization
  Marketing
  Customer service


Platform

  Website-based
  Mobile apps
  Hybrid platforms


Geography

  North America

    US
    Canada


  Europe

    France
    Germany
    Italy
    Spain
    UK


  Middle East and Africa

    UAE


  APAC

    China
    India
    Japan
    South Korea


  South America

    Brazil


  Rest of World (ROW)

By Type Insights

The advertising segment is estimated to witness significant growth during the forecast period.

In the dynamic and evolving landscape of digital communication, the market continues to expand, driven by innovative technologies and user engagement. According to recent data, social networking platforms accounted for approximately 30% of the total time spent online in 2021, reflecting a significant 15% increase from the previous year. Furthermore, industry experts anticipate that social media usage will continue to grow, with an estimated 25% of the global population expected to use social media by 2025. Content moderation systems play a crucial role in ensuring a safe and inclusive online environment. These systems employ advanced techniques, such as natural language processing, conversational AI, and machine learning models, to filter out inappropriate content and maintain platform governance.

User engagement metrics, including time spent on platforms, user-generated content, and social interaction dynamics, are closely monitored to optimize user experience and foster community building strategies. Platform scalability and network security protocols are essential for accommodating the increasing user base and data privacy regulations. Spam filtering techniques and link pred

South Korea online advertising market is valued at USD 6.5 billion, driven by smartphone penetration, social media, and e-commerce growth, with strong future outlook in mobile and video ads.

According to a survey conducted in the second and third quarter of 2024, ** percent of South Koreans reported to use KakaoTalk. KakaoTalk is a messaging app developed in South Korea and owned by Kakao Corporation. Kakao Talk KakaoTalk, often referred to as KaTalk, is a free mobile messenger for smartphones. Since its launch in 2010, it has grown to have around **** million monthly active users in the fourth quarter of 2024. While the application is free to use, the company sells so-called emoticons in their app-shop and operates a gift system. Emoticons are stickers, most often depicting popular characters, that the users can send to their contacts in the chatrooms. Kakao’s own characters, “Kakao Friends” became fashionable enough to be sold in KakaoTalk merchandise stores all over the country. As of 2017, it was reported that the company was selling around 5,500 sticker packs in their mobile store. Social media usage South Korea has the one of the fastest internet worldwide as well as an internet penetration rate of over ** percent. Naturally, the majority of citizens use social media on a daily basis. While older generations prefer domestic platforms, like Naver BAND, international platforms, like Facebook or Instagram, were more popular among younger social media users. Nevertheless, YouTube is widely popular among South Koreans of all ages. In a survey among 19 to 59-year-old consumers, only *** percent of respondents stated that they have never heard of the streaming platform. According to Reuters, around ** percent of respondents aged 55 years or older used YouTube as a news source.

IntroductionSince the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), public safety measures, including social distancing and school closures, have been implemented, precipitating psychological difficulties and heightened online activities for adolescents. However, studies examining the impact of the pandemic on adolescent mental health and their coping strategies in Asian countries are limited. Further, most studies have used survey measures to capture mental health challenges so far. Accordingly, this study aimed to examine the psychological challenges South Korean adolescents experienced and their coping strategies during the pandemic using the Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Text mining (TM) technique on adolescents’ social media texts/posts.MethodsThe data were gathered from social media texts/posts such as online communities, Twitter, and personal blogs from January 1, 2019, to October 31, 2021. The 12,520,250 texts containing keywords related to adolescents’ common psychological difficulties reported during the pandemic, including self-harm, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD), and insomnia, were analyzed by TM, NLP using information extraction, co-occurrence and sentiment analysis. The monthly frequency of the keywords and their associated words was also analyzed to understand the time trend.ResultsAdolescents used the word “self-harm” in their social media texts more frequently during the second wave of COVID-19 (August to September 2020). “Friends” was the most associated word with “self-harm.” While the frequency of texts with “Insomnia” stayed constant throughout the pandemic, the word “ADHD” was increasingly mentioned in social media. ADHD and insomnia were most frequently associated with ADHD medications and sleeping pills, respectively. Friends were generally associated with positive words, while parents were associated with negative words.ConclusionDuring COVID-19, Korean adolescents often expressed their psychological challenges on social media platforms. However, their coping strategies seemed less efficient to help with their difficulties, warranting strategies to support them in the prolonged pandemic era. For example, Korean adolescents shared psychological challenges such as self-harm with friends rather than their parents. They considered using medicine (e.g., sleeping pills and ADHD medication) as coping strategies for sleep and attention problems.

According to a survey conducted in 2020, the most used social media among South Korean members of Generation Z was Facebook, with **** percent of respondents answering to use it. In line with the decreasing user penetration of Facebook, the usage rate among Generation Z also decreased compared to the previous year.

This survey charted the gambling, social media usage and subjective well-being of young people aged 15-25 years in South Korea. The study was conducted as part of the "Problem Gambling and Social Media: Social Psychological Study on Youth Behaviour in Online Gaming Communities" research project. The aim of the project was to analyse how young social media users evaluate, adopt and share gambling-related online content and how online group processes affect their gambling and gambling-related attitudes. FSD's holdings also include other datasets that were collected as part of the research project. First, the respondents were asked which social media services they used (e.g. Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, discussion forums, online casinos) and how often. Topics that the respondents discussed on gambling-related social media were charted more closely, and they were asked, for example, whether the discussion usually related to instructions or tips on gambling or to problem gambling and recovering from problem gambling. Some questions on the respondents' social media activity were also presented, for instance, how often they saw gambling-related advertising online, how often they changed their most important social media passwords, and how often they uploaded pictures of themselves on social media. The respondents were asked whether they had ever been harassed online or had been the victim of a crime on the Internet in the past three years (e.g. defamation, identity theft, fraud, sexual harassment). The respondents' identity bubbles on social media were surveyed by using the IBR scale (Identity Bubble Reinforcement Scale). The respondents were asked, for instance, whether they thought they could be themselves on social media and whether they only interacted with people similar to them on social media. Additionally, the CIUS scale (Compulsive Internet Use) was used to examine problems related to Internet use. Questions focused on, for example, whether the respondents found it difficult to stop using the Internet when they were online, whether people close to them said they should use the Internet less, and whether they felt restless, frustrated or irritated when they couldn't use the Internet. In the next section of the questionnaire, the respondents were randomly assigned to two groups for a vignette experiment. Respondents in the test group were told they belong to Group C because they had answered the earlier questions in a similar manner to others in the group. Those in the control group were given no information on the group. The respondents were presented with different gambling-related social media scenarios, and they were asked to evaluate the contents of the gambling-related messages by "liking" or "disliking" the message or by not reacting to it at all. Each respondent was shown four different gambling messages with different contents. Three factors were manipulated in the scenarios (2x2x2 design): expressed stance of the message on gambling (positive or negative), narrative perspective of the message (experience-driven first-person narration or fact-driven third-person narration) and majority opinion of other respondents on the message (positively or negatively biased distribution of likes or dislikes). For Group C, the majority opinion was seemingly provided by other Group C members, whereas for the control group the majority opinion was seemingly provided by other respondents. Additionally, the respondents' attitudes towards the message were surveyed with statements regarding, for instance, how likely they would find the message interesting or share it on social media. Next, the respondents' attitudes towards gambling were charted by using the ATGS scale (Attitudes Towards Gambling Scale). They were asked, for example, whether people should have the right to gamble whenever they want, whether most people who gamble do so sensibly and whether it would be better if gambling was banned altogether. The respondents' gambling habits were examined by using the SOGS scale (South Oaks Gambling Screen), and they were asked, for instance, which types of gambling they had done in the past 12 months (played slot machines, visited an online casino, bet on lotteries etc.), whether the people close to them had gambling problems, and whether they had borrowed money to gamble or to pay gambling debts. In addition, the respondents' alcohol consumption was surveyed with a few questions from the AUDITC scale (The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test), and they were asked whether they had used various drugs for recreational purposes (e.g. cannabis, LSD, amphetamine, opioids) and which online resources they had used to purchases these drugs (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Craigslist). The respondents' subjective well-being and social relationships were examined next. The respondents were asked how happy they were in general and how satisfied they were with their economic situation and life in general. They were also asked how well the single statement "I have high self-esteem" from the SISE scale (Single-item Self-esteem Scale) described them. The three statements on lacking companionship, feeling left out and feeling isolated from the LONE scale (Three-item Loneliness Scale) were also included in the survey. Feelings of belonging to different groups or communities (e.g. family, friends, neighbourhood, parish/religious community) were charted, and the 12-item GHQ scale (General Health Questionnaire) was used to survey the respondents' recent mental health. Questions included, for example, whether the respondents had been able to concentrate on what they were doing, had felt they couldn't overcome their difficulties, and had been losing confidence in themselves. Finally, the respondents' sense of control over the events in their lives was examined with the MASTERY scale (Sense of Mastery Scale), with questions focusing on, for instance, whether they thought they had little control over the things that happen to them and whether they often felt helpless in dealing with the problems of life. The respondents' impulsivity was surveyed by using the EIS scale (Eysenck Impulsivity Scale) and their willingness to delay gratification was surveyed with the GRATIF scale (Delay of Gratification). Background variables included the respondent's gender, age, country of birth (own and parents'), level of education, household composition, disposable income, possible financial problems, and economic activity and occupational status.