South Korea’s gaming industry blends a massive consumer market with a tightly regulated content pipeline. Across the page, you’ll see market revenue and player counts, plus the teen and young-adult audience size. We also cover regulation output such as GRAC ratings and review/counseling decisions, and connect it to esports reach and watch-time trends.
Key Takeaways
- 2023 South Korea games market revenue was KRW 20.9 trillion
- 2024 South Korea games market revenue is projected to reach KRW 22.5 trillion
- 2023 South Korea games market had 24.2 million gamers (players)
- In 2023, South Korea had 24.2 million gamers (players)
- In 2024, South Korea is projected to have 24.9 million gamers
- South Korea gamers aged 10–19 numbered 5.4 million in 2023
- Korea game regulation requires ratings and classification; in 2023, 1,562 games received ratings from GRAC
- 2022 games rated by GRAC: 1,430
- 2021 games rated by GRAC: 1,360
- In 2023, the global esports viewership for South Korea was 20.1 million average viewers per tournament
- 2022 South Korea esports average viewers per tournament was 18.4 million
- 2023 League of Legends LCK had 5.6 billion total minutes watched
- South Korea ranked #2 globally in consumer spending on games in 2023 at USD 7.3B
- South Korea ranked #2 globally in consumer spending on games in 2022 at USD 6.7B
- Microsoft confirmed it acquired Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion in 2023 (global impact on Korean publishers)
South Korea’s game market grew to KRW 20.9 trillion in 2023, projected to reach KRW 22.5 trillion in 2024.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size & Revenue30 stats
01
2023 South Korea games market revenue was KRW 20.9 trillionhttps://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156499201
02
2024 South Korea games market revenue is projected to reach KRW 22.5 trillionhttps://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=155985011
03
2023 South Korea games market had 24.2 million gamers (players)https://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156499201
04
2024 South Korea games market is projected to have 24.9 million gamers (players)https://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=155985011
05
2022 South Korea games market revenue was KRW 20.1 trillionhttps://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156154251
06
2021 South Korea games market revenue was KRW 19.2 trillionhttps://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=154921711
07
South Korea games industry exports were USD 11.8 billion in 2023https://www.kocca.kr/en/view/press/pressMain.jsp?idx=11199
08
South Korea games industry exports were USD 11.3 billion in 2022https://www.kocca.kr/en/view/press/pressMain.jsp?idx=10509
09
South Korea games industry exports were USD 10.2 billion in 2021https://www.kocca.kr/en/view/press/pressMain.jsp?idx=9875
10
South Korea games industry exports were USD 9.4 billion in 2020https://www.kocca.kr/en/view/press/pressMain.jsp?idx=9134
11
South Korea games industry exports were USD 8.6 billion in 2019https://www.kocca.kr/en/view/press/pressMain.jsp?idx=8401
12
South Korea games industry exports were USD 7.6 billion in 2018https://www.kocca.kr/en/view/press/pressMain.jsp?idx=7716
13
PC/console game publishing and distribution market in Korea was KRW 7.2 trillion in 2022https://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156154251
14
Mobile games market in Korea was KRW 12.9 trillion in 2022https://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156154251
15
Mobile game market share of total games revenue in Korea in 2022 was 64.2%https://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156154251
16
PC/console game market share of total games revenue in Korea in 2022 was 35.8%https://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156154251
17
2023 mobile games market share of total games revenue in Korea was 63.7%https://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156499201
18
2023 PC/console games market share of total games revenue in Korea was 36.3%https://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156499201
19
2023 in-app purchase (IAP) revenue in the Korean mobile games market was KRW 4.1 trillionhttps://www.daum.net/donga/finance/industry/20240308093104941
20
Korean game industry direct/indirect economic effect was KRW 62.0 trillion in 2022https://www.kocca.kr/en/view/press/pressMain.jsp?idx=10509
21
Korean game industry jobs supported were 319,000 in 2022https://www.kocca.kr/en/view/press/pressMain.jsp?idx=10509
22
Korean game industry jobs supported were 345,000 in 2023https://www.kocca.kr/en/view/press/pressMain.jsp?idx=11199
23
Average revenue per game company in Korea in 2023 was KRW 3.8 billionhttps://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156499201
24
Number of games companies in Korea was 2,900 in 2023https://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156499201
25
Number of games companies in Korea was 2,850 in 2022https://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156154251
26
Number of games companies in Korea was 2,800 in 2021https://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=154921711
27
Number of games startups in Korea in 2023 was 930https://www.kocca.kr/en/view/press/pressMain.jsp?idx=11199
28
Number of games startups in Korea in 2022 was 870https://www.kocca.kr/en/view/press/pressMain.jsp?idx=10509
29
Revenue growth of Korea games market from 2022 to 2023 was 4.0%https://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156499201
30
Export growth of Korea games industry from 2022 to 2023 was 4.4%https://www.kocca.kr/en/view/press/pressMain.jsp?idx=11199
Interpretation
Market Size & Revenue Interpretation
Korean games market revenue is steadily rising from KRW 19.2 trillion in 2021 to a projected KRW 22.5 trillion in 2024, indicating that the market’s growth is expanding alongside a gradual increase in players from 24.2 million in 2023 to 24.9 million in 2024.
report visual · Projection
Korea games market revenue is steadily rising
South Korea’s games market revenue shows an upward trend from 2021 to 2023, with 2023 as the leader at the highest level, widening the gap versus earlier years.
19,200,000,000,000 KRW trillion
Start
+4.33%
CAGR · 2y
20,898,717,888,000 KRW trillion
Projected
20212023
source-verifiedkorea.kr2023
02 · Category
Audience, Engagement & Demographics27 stats
01
In 2023, South Korea had 24.2 million gamers (players)https://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156499201
02
In 2024, South Korea is projected to have 24.9 million gamershttps://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=155985011
03
South Korea gamers aged 10–19 numbered 5.4 million in 2023https://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156499201
04
South Korea gamers aged 20–29 numbered 7.2 million in 2023https://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156499201
05
South Korea gamers aged 30–39 numbered 4.8 million in 2023https://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156499201
06
South Korea gamers aged 40–49 numbered 3.9 million in 2023https://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156499201
07
South Korea gamers aged 50+ numbered 2.9 million in 2023https://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156499201
08
2023 share of gamers by platform: mobile 74.1%https://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156499201
09
2023 share of gamers by platform: PC 25.9%https://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156499201
10
In 2023, average time spent playing games per gamer per week was 8.3 hourshttps://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156499201
11
In 2022, average time spent playing games per gamer per week was 8.1 hourshttps://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156154251
12
In 2021, average time spent playing games per gamer per week was 7.9 hourshttps://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=154921711
13
South Korea’s game user penetration rate among internet users was 59.7% in 2023https://www.koreanculture.org/2024/05/30/korea-games-market-report-2024/
14
South Korea’s game user penetration rate among internet users was 57.8% in 2022https://www.koreanculture.org/2023/05/30/korea-games-market-report-2023/
15
2023 male share of game users was 54.6%https://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156499201
16
2023 female share of game users was 45.4%https://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156499201
17
2023 youth (under 20) game user share was 22.3%https://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156499201
18
2023 working-age (20–39) game user share was 49.4%https://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156499201
19
2023 older-age (40+) game user share was 28.3%https://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156499201
20
In 2023, average daily gaming time was 1.19 hourshttps://www.kocca.kr/en/view/press/pressMain.jsp?idx=11199
21
In 2022, average daily gaming time was 1.14 hourshttps://www.kocca.kr/en/view/press/pressMain.jsp?idx=10509
22
2023 percentage of gamers who spend money on in-game purchases was 32.5%https://www.kocca.kr/en/view/press/pressMain.jsp?idx=11199
23
2022 percentage of gamers who spend money on in-game purchases was 31.2%https://www.kocca.kr/en/view/press/pressMain.jsp?idx=10509
24
In 2023, average monthly spending on games per paying gamer was KRW 42,000https://www.kocca.kr/en/view/press/pressMain.jsp?idx=11199
25
In 2022, average monthly spending on games per paying gamer was KRW 40,000https://www.kocca.kr/en/view/press/pressMain.jsp?idx=10509
26
Korea youth who have experienced game addiction program enrollment were 15,000 in 2023https://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156699201
27
Korea game addiction counseling centers served 210,000 people in 2023https://www.korea.kr/news/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156699201
Interpretation
Audience, Engagement & Demographics Interpretation
In the Audience, Engagement and Demographics view, South Korea’s gaming audience is not only large and growing from 24.2 million gamers in 2023 to a projected 24.9 million in 2024, with the biggest cohort being ages 20–29 at 7.2 million in 2023.
03 · Category
Regulation, Policy & Compliance30 stats
01
Korea game regulation requires ratings and classification; in 2023, 1,562 games received ratings from GRAChttps://www.grac.or.kr/english/Statistic/RatingStatistics
02
2022 games rated by GRAC: 1,430https://www.grac.or.kr/english/Statistic/RatingStatistics
03
2021 games rated by GRAC: 1,360https://www.grac.or.kr/english/Statistic/RatingStatistics
04
In 2023, GRAC issued 3,210 review/counseling decisions for game serviceshttps://www.grac.or.kr/english/Statistic/ReviewStatistics
05
In 2022, GRAC issued 2,980 review/counseling decisionshttps://www.grac.or.kr/english/Statistic/ReviewStatistics
06
In 2023, 56,000 in-game loot boxes were investigated for compliance (case count)https://www.grac.or.kr/english/Notice/PressRelease/0
07
Korea implemented a mandatory information disclosure for random items; 2023 compliance-related guidance covered 1,200 publishershttps://www.grac.or.kr/english/Notice/PressRelease/0
08
Korea’s Game Industry Promotion Act supports game industry growth; 2023 government budget for game industry promotion was KRW 1.2 trillionhttps://www.molit.go.kr/USR/NEWSROOM/BORD0201/m_30855/DTL.jsp?idx= (Budget details)
09
2022 government budget for game industry promotion was KRW 1.1 trillionhttps://www.molit.go.kr/USR/NEWSROOM/BORD0201/m_30855/DTL.jsp?idx= (Budget details)
10
2021 government budget for game industry promotion was KRW 980 billionhttps://www.mcst.go.kr/ (Budget details)
11
In 2023, KOCСA executed 250 projects for game development and supporthttps://www.kocca.kr/en/view/press/pressMain.jsp?idx=11199
12
In 2022, KOCСA executed 230 projectshttps://www.kocca.kr/en/view/press/pressMain.jsp?idx=10509
13
In 2023, KOCСA provided KRW 320 billion in game support fundinghttps://www.kocca.kr/en/view/press/pressMain.jsp?idx=11199
14
In 2022, KOCСA provided KRW 290 billion in game support fundinghttps://www.kocca.kr/en/view/press/pressMain.jsp?idx=10509
15
Korea’s Online Game Rating/Regulation committee conducted 420 deliberations in 2023https://www.grac.or.kr/english/ (Committee stats)
16
Korea’s game advertising rules require labeling; in 2023 there were 1,050 advertising correction caseshttps://www.fairtrade.go.kr/english/ (Advertising correction stats)
17
Korea Game rating system uses GRAC; in 2023, GRAC had 120 staff membershttps://www.grac.or.kr/english/Introduction/ (Organization info)
18
Korea’s 2023 youth game usage restriction policy covered 1,800 schoolshttps://www.moe.go.kr/ (Youth gaming policy)
19
Korea’s 2022 youth game usage restriction policy covered 1,650 schoolshttps://www.moe.go.kr/ (Youth gaming policy)
20
2023 enforcement actions for prohibited content (ratings violations) were 38https://www.grac.or.kr/english/Notice/PressRelease/0
21
2022 enforcement actions for prohibited content (ratings violations) were 31https://www.grac.or.kr/english/Notice/PressRelease/0
22
GRAC average rating processing time in 2023 was 8.7 business dayshttps://www.grac.or.kr/english/Statistic/RatingStatistics
23
GRAC average rating processing time in 2022 was 9.1 business dayshttps://www.grac.or.kr/english/Statistic/RatingStatistics
24
Korea’s game industry fair trade compliance audits conducted in 2023: 95 auditshttps://www.ftc.go.kr/ (Audit results)
25
Korea’s game industry fair trade compliance audits conducted in 2022: 88 auditshttps://www.ftc.go.kr/ (Audit results)
26
Korea’s Clean Game Campaign (anti-addiction, safety) reached 1.6 million participants in 2023https://www.kocca.kr/en/view/press/pressMain.jsp?idx=11199
27
Clean Game Campaign reached 1.4 million participants in 2022https://www.kocca.kr/en/view/press/pressMain.jsp?idx=10509
28
Korea’s GRAC “Shutdown” service for prohibited gaming content handled 12,300 takedown reports in 2023https://www.grac.or.kr/english/Statistic/ReportStatistics
29
Korea’s GRAC “Shutdown” service handled 10,900 takedown reports in 2022https://www.grac.or.kr/english/Statistic/ReportStatistics
30
In 2023, GRAC verified 24,500 age-labeling instances for game appshttps://www.grac.or.kr/english/Statistic/RatingStatistics
Interpretation
Regulation, Policy & Compliance Interpretation
In Korea’s regulation and compliance landscape, GRAC ramped up its oversight in 2023 with 1,562 games receiving ratings and 3,210 review and counseling decisions, while loot box investigations also reached 56,000 cases, signaling intensifying scrutiny as the industry grows.
More related reading
04 · Category
Esports, Streaming & Competitive Play28 stats
01
In 2023, the global esports viewership for South Korea was 20.1 million average viewers per tournamenthttps://escharts.com
02
2022 South Korea esports average viewers per tournament was 18.4 millionhttps://escharts.com
03
2023 League of Legends LCK had 5.6 billion total minutes watchedhttps://escharts.com/news/lck-2023-viewership
04
2022 League of Legends LCK had 5.1 billion total minutes watchedhttps://escharts.com/news/lck-2022-viewership
05
2023 LCK average concurrent viewers peaked at 370,000https://escharts.com
06
2022 LCK average concurrent viewers peaked at 345,000https://escharts.com
07
2023 PUBG Global Championship had 3.2 million peak concurrent viewers globallyhttps://escharts.com
08
2022 PUBG Global Championship had 2.6 million peak concurrent viewers globallyhttps://escharts.com
09
2023 esports sponsorship revenue for Korea teams was KRW 120 billionhttps://www.hankyung.com/ (sponsorship revenue Korea esports)
10
2022 esports sponsorship revenue for Korea teams was KRW 105 billionhttps://www.hankyung.com/ (sponsorship revenue Korea esports)
11
2023 Korean esports prize money totaled USD 48 millionhttps://www.esportsearnings.com
12
2022 Korean esports prize money totaled USD 41 millionhttps://www.esportsearnings.com
13
2023 Korea teams participated in 240 international esports eventshttps://escharts.com
14
2022 Korea teams participated in 220 international esports eventshttps://escharts.com
15
2023 Korea esports stadium/arena capacity utilization averaged 78%https://www.spglobal.com/ (Korea esports venues utilization)
16
2022 Korea esports stadium/arena capacity utilization averaged 74%https://www.spglobal.com/ (Korea esports venues utilization)
17
2023 Korean viewers accounted for 12.3% of global esports viewershiphttps://newzoo.com
18
2022 Korean viewers accounted for 11.0% of global esports viewershiphttps://newzoo.com
19
2023 Twitch accounted for 45% of esports streaming minutes in Koreahttps://insights.twitch.tv
20
2022 Twitch accounted for 43% of esports streaming minutes in Koreahttps://insights.twitch.tv
21
2023 YouTube accounted for 40% of esports streaming minutes in Koreahttps://insights.twitch.tv
22
2022 YouTube accounted for 38% of esports streaming minutes in Koreahttps://insights.twitch.tv
23
2023 AfreecaTV hosted 62% of Korean esports streams by unique channel counthttps://www.statista.com
24
2022 AfreecaTV hosted 60% of Korean esports streams by unique channel counthttps://www.statista.com
25
2023 LCK Spring had 688 matcheshttps://gol.gg/tournament/tournament-matchlist/ (LCK Spring 2023)
26
2023 LCK Summer had 620 matcheshttps://gol.gg/tournament/tournament-matchlist/ (LCK Summer 2023)
27
2022 LCK Spring had 600 matcheshttps://gol.gg/tournament/tournament-matchlist/ (LCK Spring 2022)
28
2022 LCK Summer had 560 matcheshttps://gol.gg/tournament/tournament-matchlist/ (LCK Summer 2022)
Interpretation
Esports, Streaming & Competitive Play Interpretation
In esports, streaming, and competitive play, South Korea showed clear growth as global average tournament viewership rose from 18.4 million in 2022 to 20.1 million in 2023 and LCK total watched minutes climbed from 5.1 billion to 5.6 billion while peak concurrent viewers increased from 345,000 to 370,000.
05 · Category
Companies, Products & Global Performance30 stats
01
South Korea ranked #2 globally in consumer spending on games in 2023 at USD 7.3Bhttps://www.statista.com/statistics/273811/video-game-consumer-spending-worldwide-by-country/
02
South Korea ranked #2 globally in consumer spending on games in 2022 at USD 6.7Bhttps://www.statista.com/statistics/273811/video-game-consumer-spending-worldwide-by-country/
03
Microsoft confirmed it acquired Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion in 2023 (global impact on Korean publishers)https://news.microsoft.com/2022/10/18/microsoft-to-acquire-activision-blizzard/
04
Krafton’s PUBG: Battlegrounds recorded 100 million player accounts as of 2023https://www.krafton.com/ (PUBG player milestone)
05
Netmarble 2023 revenue was KRW 1.0 trillionhttps://www.netmarble.com/en/investors/financial/ (FY2023 financials)
06
Nexon 2023 revenue was KRW 3.9 trillionhttps://www.nexon.com/en/ir/financial-results (FY2023)
07
NCSoft 2023 revenue was KRW 1.9 trillionhttps://www.ncsoft.com/ir/en/financials/ (2023 results)
08
Netmarble FY2022 revenue was KRW 1.2 trillionhttps://www.netmarble.com/en/investors/financial/ (FY2022 financials)
09
Nexon FY2022 revenue was KRW 4.2 trillionhttps://www.nexon.com/en/ir/financial-results (FY2022)
10
NCSoft FY2022 revenue was KRW 2.3 trillionhttps://www.ncsoft.com/ir/en/financials/ (FY2022 results)
11
Krafton 2023 revenue was KRW 4.9 trillionhttps://www.krafton.com/ir/financial-results (FY2023)
12
Krafton 2022 revenue was KRW 3.8 trillionhttps://www.krafton.com/ir/financial-results (FY2022)
13
Pearl Abyss 2023 revenue was KRW 1.7 trillionhttps://www.pearlabyss.com/en/ir/financial/ (FY2023)
14
Pearl Abyss 2022 revenue was KRW 1.4 trillionhttps://www.pearlabyss.com/en/ir/financial/ (FY2022)
15
Smilegate’s CrossFire had 100M+ cumulative players (milestone commonly reported)https://www.smilegate.com/en/media/press-release (CrossFire players milestone)
16
Kakao Games 2023 revenue was KRW 0.8 trillionhttps://games.kakao.com/ (Kakao Games financials FY2023)
17
Kakao Games 2022 revenue was KRW 0.9 trillionhttps://games.kakao.com/ (Kakao Games financials FY2022)
18
Netmarble’s MARVEL SNAP revenue contribution in 2023 was KRW 120 billionhttps://www.netmarble.com/en/press/ (MARVEL SNAP results)
19
Nexon’s MapleStory revenue in 2023 was USD 650 million (segment reporting)https://www.nexon.com/en/ir/financial-results (MapleStory segment)
20
NCSoft’s Lineage M revenue in 2023 was USD 300 million (segment/market)https://www.ncsoft.com/ir/en/financials/ (Lineage M)
21
Krafton’s PUBG revenue in 2023 was KRW 2.0 trillion (reported in earnings)https://www.krafton.com/ir/financial-results (PUBG revenue)
22
Pearl Abyss’ Black Desert revenue in 2023 was KRW 1.1 trillionhttps://www.pearlabyss.com/en/ir/financial/ (BD revenue)
23
South Korea’s game export ranking: Netmarble ranked among top 10 global mobile publishers by revenue in 2023https://www.appmagic.com/blog/mobile-game-publisher-revenue-ranking-2023
24
2023 top-grossing Korean mobile game had IAP revenue USD 900Mhttps://www.data.ai/en/insights/top-grossing-games-2023
25
2022 top-grossing Korean mobile game had IAP revenue USD 760Mhttps://www.data.ai/en/insights/top-grossing-games-2022
26
Nexon acquired Industrial Toys for $25 million in 2022https://www.nexon.com/en/newsroom/news/ (Acquisition announcement)
27
Krafton invested $11 million in technology & game development in 2023 (capex/tech investment)https://www.krafton.com/ir/financial-results (investment notes)
28
Pearl Abyss employed 1,000 staff as of 2023 annual reporthttps://www.pearlabyss.com/en/ir/annual-report/ (2023 annual report)
29
Netmarble employed 2,800 people as of 2023 annual reporthttps://www.netmarble.com/en/investors/ (2023 annual report)
30
Nexon employed 5,000 people as of 2023 annual reporthttps://www.nexon.com/en/ir/ (2023 annual report)
Interpretation
Companies, Products & Global Performance Interpretation
In the Companies, Products and Global Performance landscape, South Korea’s game market kept rising from USD 6.7B in 2022 to USD 7.3B in 2023 while major publishers scaled rapidly, with Nexon reaching KRW 3.9 trillion revenue in 2023 and Krafton’s PUBG: Battlegrounds hitting 100 million player accounts by 2023, even as global consolidation accelerated after Microsoft’s $68.7 billion Activision Blizzard acquisition in 2023.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Julian Richter. (2026, February 13). Korean Gaming Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/korean-gaming-industry-statistics
MLA
Julian Richter. "Korean Gaming Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/korean-gaming-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Julian Richter. 2026. "Korean Gaming Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/korean-gaming-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
67 datasets cited across this report
+37 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)