From K-dramas dominating global screens to K-pop albums flying off shelves, South Korea’s media industry is a multi-trillion won powerhouse where traditional broadcasting, a booming film sector, and digital streaming platforms are converging to create a uniquely dynamic and evolving entertainment landscape.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, South Korea's broadcasting industry revenue reached 15.8 trillion KRW, marking a 4.2% year-on-year growth driven by advertising recovery post-COVID
- Terrestrial TV households in South Korea numbered 19.2 million in 2022, representing 85.7% penetration rate among total households
- KBS recorded 12.5% audience share in prime time slots during 2023, leading public broadcasters with flagship dramas like 'Moving'
- South Korea film industry box office revenue hit 1.48 trillion KRW in 2023, recovering 96% from pre-pandemic levels
- Number of Korean films released commercially was 1,120 in 2023, up 18% YoY
- 'Exhuma' became highest-grossing Korean film with 14.6 million admissions in 2024 Q1
- Music industry revenue in South Korea totaled 9.1 trillion KRW in 2023, up 10.5% driven by streaming and K-pop exports
- Streaming accounted for 82.4% of total music revenue in South Korea 2023
- Melon platform had 15.2 million paid subscribers in Q4 2023
- Digital Media and Streaming market size in South Korea was 7.5 trillion KRW in 2023, growing 12% YoY
- Netflix paid subscribers in South Korea reached 4.2 million in Q4 2023
- Disney+ launched with 1.9 million subscribers within first year by end-2023
- Advertising market total spend in South Korea was 8.7 trillion KRW in 2023, with digital overtaking TV at 52% share
- Newspaper circulation totaled 18.5 million copies daily in 2023, down 3.2% YoY
- Magazine publishing revenue fell to 0.28 trillion KRW in 2023 amid digital shift
South Korea's media industry thrives with strong broadcasting growth, rising digital streaming, and robust film and music exports.
Advertising & Publishing
- Advertising market total spend in South Korea was 8.7 trillion KRW in 2023, with digital overtaking TV at 52% share
- Newspaper circulation totaled 18.5 million copies daily in 2023, down 3.2% YoY
- Magazine publishing revenue fell to 0.28 trillion KRW in 2023 amid digital shift
- Digital ad spend on search engines like Naver was 2.8 trillion KRW 2023
- OOH advertising grew 7% to 0.65 trillion KRW with digital billboards
- Chosun Ilbo daily print run averaged 1.2 million copies in 2023
- Programmatic ad buying share reached 45% of digital ads in 2023
- Book publishing market valued at 4.6 trillion KRW in 2023, e-books 25%
- Social media ad spend hit 1.9 trillion KRW led by Instagram/KakaoTalk 2023
- JoongAng Ilbo circulation 0.85 million daily 2023
- CTV connected TV ad impressions 120 billion in 2023
- Comic book (manhwa) publishing revenue 1.1 trillion KRW digital dominant 2023
- Influencer marketing spend 0.42 trillion KRW in 2023
- DongA Ilbo subscribers 0.72 million print+digital 2023
- Native advertising revenue grew 18% to 0.35 trillion KRW 2023
- Audiobook market expanded to 0.15 trillion KRW sales 2023
- Retail media networks ad spend 0.55 trillion KRW via Coupang/Naver 2023
- Hankyoreh newspaper digital subs 0.4 million 2023
- Print ad revenue declined 12% to 1.2 trillion KRW industry-wide 2023
- DOOH screens numbered 28,000 nationwide end-2023
- Webtoon platform ad revenue 0.68 trillion KRW in 2023 Naver/Webtoon
- Kyunghyang Shinmun circulation 0.35 million 2023
- Affiliate marketing deals totaled 50,000 campaigns worth 0.18 trillion KRW 2023
- E-paper adoption 15% of newspaper readers daily 2023
Advertising & Publishing Interpretation
While digital ad spend now cheerfully dominates the screen with a 52% share, the newspaper industry is quietly folding its print editions like a slowly closing paper fan, and even books are getting a digital makeover as e-books carve out a quarter of the market, proving that in South Korea’s media landscape, the future is being streamed, scrolled, and programmatically bought, not turned like a page.
Broadcasting
- In 2023, South Korea's broadcasting industry revenue reached 15.8 trillion KRW, marking a 4.2% year-on-year growth driven by advertising recovery post-COVID
- Terrestrial TV households in South Korea numbered 19.2 million in 2022, representing 85.7% penetration rate among total households
- KBS recorded 12.5% audience share in prime time slots during 2023, leading public broadcasters with flagship dramas like 'Moving'
- Cable TV subscribers in South Korea stood at 14.3 million in Q4 2023, down 2.1% YoY due to cord-cutting trends
- IPTV market share reached 62% of pay TV subscribers in 2023, with KT's IPTV service leading at 8.9 million users
- Radio listenership in South Korea averaged 78 minutes per day per listener in 2022, with MBC dominating FM bands
- Public broadcaster budget for KBS in 2023 was 6.1 trillion KRW, funded 85% by license fees
- Digital terrestrial TV transition completed in 2013 covered 99.9% of population by 2023 standards
- SBS median prime time rating hit 9.8% in 2023, boosted by reality shows like 'Running Man'
- Pay TV ARPU in South Korea averaged 28,500 KRW monthly in 2023, up 3.5% from prior year
- MBC audience share for news programs reached 22.4% in 2023 evenings
- Number of broadcast channels in South Korea totaled 1,247 in 2022, including 48 terrestrial
- TV advertising spend in broadcasting sector was 4.2 trillion KRW in 2023, 72% of total ad market
- JTBC news viewership grew 15% YoY to average 5.2% rating in 2023
- Radio advertising revenue declined 5.3% to 0.45 trillion KRW in 2023 amid digital shift
- EBS educational broadcasting reached 95% school penetration with 12 million monthly viewers in 2023
- OTT integration in IPTV bundles covered 45% of subscribers by end-2023
- Prime time drama ratings peaked at 18.7% for 'Queen of Tears' on tvN in 2024 Q1
- Local broadcast exports via platforms hit 1.2 trillion KRW in 2023
- TV content production costs averaged 2.5 billion KRW per drama episode in 2023 big 3 networks
- Number of variety shows broadcast weekly exceeded 150 in 2023 across major networks
- Digital radio adoption rate was 12% among listeners in urban areas by 2023
- MBC FM4U listenership averaged 1.2 million daily in 2023 Seoul metro
- TV news production hours totaled 45,000 annually across networks in 2023
- Pay broadcast channel growth was 1.8% to 518 channels in 2023
- Household TV ownership rate was 98.2% in South Korea 2023 survey
- Late-night comedy shows averaged 4.1% ratings on KBS in 2023
- Regional broadcasting stations numbered 10 nationwide with 85% coverage in 2023
- Interactive TV features adopted by 22% IPTV users for voting in shows 2023
- Annual TV drama production reached 420 episodes across networks in 2023
Broadcasting Interpretation
Despite cord-cutters' best efforts, South Korea's broadcasting industry remains stubbornly healthy, proving that whether you watch via terrestrial, cable, IPTV, or a bundled OTT service, the nation's love for a good drama, a reliable news bulletin, and the endless chatter of FM radio is a multi-trillion won habit that refuses to be kicked.
Digital Media
- Digital Media and Streaming market size in South Korea was 7.5 trillion KRW in 2023, growing 12% YoY
- Netflix paid subscribers in South Korea reached 4.2 million in Q4 2023
- Disney+ launched with 1.9 million subscribers within first year by end-2023
- Wavve platform users averaged 8.5 million MAU in 2023, owned by terrestrial nets
- Online video ad spend surged 22% to 2.1 trillion KRW in 2023
- Tving SVOD subscribers hit 6.3 million in 2023 merger with Seezn
- Short-form video app usage averaged 95 minutes daily per user in 2023
- Kakao TV content views totaled 15 billion in 2023
- Gaming streaming via Twitch and AfreecaTV averaged 2.5 million concurrent viewers peak 2023
- Podcast listeners numbered 12 million monthly in South Korea 2023
- Naver TV series uploads reached 5,200 titles by 2023
- Social media video consumption 75% of total internet traffic in 2023
- YouTube premium subscribers in Korea 2.8 million end-2023
- AVOD revenue from ads on platforms like Coupang Play 0.45 trillion KRW 2023
- User-generated content platforms had 45 million registered creators in 2023
- 5G video streaming adoption 68% among smartphone users 2023
- Watcha OTT ARPU averaged 12,500 KRW monthly in 2023
- Live commerce video sales hit 40 trillion KRW platform-wide 2023
- Esports streaming viewership averaged 1.2 million per major tournament 2023
- VR/AR media content investments totaled 150 billion KRW in 2023
- TikTok (Shake) users in Korea 18 million MAU end-2023
- IP-based content streaming exports 0.9 trillion KRW 2023
- Mobile video data usage per capita 18 GB monthly 2023
- Multi-channel networks (MCNs) numbered 1,200 with 50 million subs 2023
- 8K video streaming pilots covered 15% households by 2023
- News portal video clips views 30 billion annually 2023
- Adult SVOD platforms revenue 0.22 trillion KRW niche market 2023
Digital Media Interpretation
South Korea’s media ecosystem has become a fiercely competitive digital coliseum where streaming giants, local platforms, and a legion of creators are all furiously vying for the eyes, ears, and wallets of a population that now breathes in gigabytes and exhales content.
Film
- South Korea film industry box office revenue hit 1.48 trillion KRW in 2023, recovering 96% from pre-pandemic levels
- Number of Korean films released commercially was 1,120 in 2023, up 18% YoY
- 'Exhuma' became highest-grossing Korean film with 14.6 million admissions in 2024 Q1
- Film export value reached 124.5 billion USD in 2023, led by 'Parasite' legacy deals
- Average production budget for big-budget Korean films was 12.3 billion KRW in 2023
- Cinema screen count in South Korea totaled 2,232 in 2023, with multiplexes at 95%
- Market share of Korean films at domestic box office was 56.3% in 2023
- CJ ENM's film division revenue was 0.8 trillion KRW in 2023 from hits like 'Hunt'
- Festival awards: Korean films won 42 international prizes in 2023, including Cannes
- 4DX screen installations reached 102 in South Korea by 2023, global leader per capita
- Independent film funding from KOFIC totaled 45 billion KRW grants in 2023
- Average ticket price for cinema was 13,200 KRW in 2023, up 4.8% YoY
- Hollywood film imports earned 0.72 trillion KRW at Korean box office 2023
- Film VOD revenue share grew to 28% of total film income in 2023
- Number of film production companies registered 1,450 in 2023
- Women directors helmed 22% of Korean feature films released in 2023
- IMAX screens numbered 58 in South Korea end-2023
- Documentary films saw 15% audience growth to 2.1 million admissions 2023
- Overseas shooting locations for Korean films increased 25% to 180 sites in 2023
- Film theater attendance per capita was 1.92 visits in 2023
- LOTTE Cinema chain operated 120 branches with 1,100 screens in 2023
- Animation films contributed 8.4% box office share with 'Seo Bok' series
- Government subsidy for film industry was 320 billion KRW in 2023 budget
- 3D film releases accounted for 12% of total Korean films in 2023
- Film distribution companies numbered 320 active in 2023 market
- Horror genre films grossed 180 billion KRW in 2023 domestically
- Overseas Korean film festivals hosted by KOFIC reached 25 events in 2023
- Average film runtime for Korean releases was 112 minutes in 2023
Film Interpretation
While Korean cinema, having almost fully recovered its box office swagger and continuing to bleed into global consciousness (with even documentaries finding their crowd), is now a highly-exportable, popcorn-fuelled industrial complex where multiplexes rule and budgets balloon, it still thoughtfully reserves a grant-funded corner for independents and, albeit slowly, more seats at the director's chair.
Music
- Music industry revenue in South Korea totaled 9.1 trillion KRW in 2023, up 10.5% driven by streaming and K-pop exports
- Streaming accounted for 82.4% of total music revenue in South Korea 2023
- Melon platform had 15.2 million paid subscribers in Q4 2023
- K-pop album sales reached 47.8 million units in 2023 globally, led by BTS and NewJeans
- Physical sales revenue grew 28% to 1.15 trillion KRW in 2023 due to collector editions
- Number of K-pop groups debuting annually was 52 in 2023
- HYBE Corporation revenue from music was 2.2 trillion KRW in 2023
- Spotify monthly active users in South Korea hit 12.5 million in 2023
- Concert ticket sales generated 0.95 trillion KRW in 2023 post-pandemic boom
- Export value of Korean music content was 0.28 trillion KRW in 2023
- YouTube music video views from Korea totaled 120 billion in 2023
- Number of music labels active was 450 in 2023, with SM Entertainment leading
- Sync licensing deals for K-pop in ads/TV reached 150 in 2023, revenue 50 billion KRW
- Genie Music subscribers numbered 6.8 million in 2023
- Classical music segment grew 5% to 0.12 trillion KRW revenue 2023
- K-pop idol average monthly streaming royalties per artist topped 100 million KRW for top 10
- Vinyl record sales surged 45% to 20,000 units monthly average 2023
- Music publishing revenue was 0.32 trillion KRW in 2023, up 8%
- Overseas K-pop concert tours by top acts grossed 1.1 billion USD in 2023
- Flo music app users reached 7.1 million MAU in 2023
- Indie music market share hit 15% of streaming charts in 2023
- Performance rights royalties collected 180 billion KRW by KOMCA in 2023
- Number of music awards shows was 12 major events in 2023
- Trot music revival added 0.15 trillion KRW to revenue in 2023
- Blockchain NFT music sales experimental revenue 5 billion KRW in 2023
Music Interpretation
South Korea's music industry, now a global economic engine, has masterfully pirouetted from physical album collectors and packed stadiums to a dominant streaming realm, proving that while the world listens online, it still passionately buys, watches, and celebrates in person.
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