Korean App Store spending topped $26.8 bil. in 2025: Apple

A promotional image of Apple's product ecosystem / Courtesy of Apple

Billings and sales generated through its Korean App Store ecosystem reached roughly 38.1 trillion won ($26.8 billion) in 2025, more than double the figure from five years earlier, Apple said Thursday, citing a new study by Seoul National University professor Michael Lim and Analysis Group's Juliette Caminade.

More than 90 percent of that total involved no commission paid to Apple, accruing instead to developers and businesses of all sizes. Small developers saw their revenue grow 85 percent over the past five years.

"Korean developers exemplify what the App Store has stood for from the beginning," Apple CEO Tim Cook said, citing their ability to turn strong ideas into successful businesses.

The Korean App Store drew nearly 12 million weekly visitors on average in 2025, with iOS users in Korea downloading apps almost 670 million times over the year.

Physical goods and services accounted for about 32.3 trillion won of billings, digital goods and services about 3.7 trillion won, and in-app advertising about 2.1 trillion won, the study found. Travel led growth in physical goods, while mobile games, streaming and productivity apps drove digital growth.

Korean-made apps accounted for about 60 percent of downloads and nearly half of revenue among domestic users, the study found.

Seventy-six percent of Korean developers saw downloads from multiple countries, with those earning revenue abroad drawing sales from an average of 30 markets outside Korea; for game developers, about 85 percent of downloads came from overseas users.

Examples cited include HAEGIN's social game "Play Together," which has surpassed 230 million downloads, and Sketchsoft's iPad app "Feather," a 2025 Apple Design Award winner used by more than 100,000 paying customers in 156 countries.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.