Mobile shopping drives record online spending in South Korea

SEOUL, February 02 (AJP) - South Korea’s online shopping transactions reached a record high last year, with cross-border online trade also expanding, official data showed on Monday.

According to a report from the National Data Portal, total online shopping transactions rose 4.9 percent from a year earlier to 272.4 trillion won. Mobile shopping continued to dominate spending, rising 6.5 percent to 211.14 trillion won.

Food services accounted for the largest share of online transactions at 15.3 percent, followed by groceries at 13.9 percent and travel and transportation services at 12.5 percent.

Growth strengthened toward the end of the year. In the fourth quarter, online shopping transactions rose 6.1 percent year on year to 71.26 trillion won, driven by food services, up 12.3 percent; groceries, up 8.0 percent; and travel and transportation services, up 8.5 percent.

Mobile transactions in the October–December period increased 6.9 percent to 55.22 trillion won, while spending on agricultural, livestock and fishery products rose 14.9 percent.

December alone saw online shopping transactions rise 6.2 percent from a year earlier to 24.29 trillion won. Mobile shopping also grew 6.2 percent to 18.8 trillion won, with mobile’s share of total online spending unchanged at 77.4 percent.

The strongest monthly growth came from automobiles and auto supplies, which surged 66.4 percent. Grocery purchases rose 10.2 percent and food services gained 9.1 percent. Mobile spending growth was likewise led by food-related purchases, including agricultural, livestock and fishery products, up 14.5 percent, groceries, up 13.6 percent, and food services, up 9.1 percent.

Cross-border e-commerce also expanded. Online direct overseas sales by Korean sellers rose 16.4 percent to 3 trillion won. Sales declined to ASEAN markets, down 4.4 percent, but increased to the United States, up 26.3 percent, and China, up 10.9 percent.

The report attributed overseas demand partly to the global popularity of Korean culture, with growth led by cosmetics, up 20.4 percent, groceries, up 49.2 percent, and records, videos and musical instruments, up 7.0 percent.

Meanwhile, South Korean consumers’ direct online purchases from overseas retailers rose 5.2 percent to 8.51 trillion won. Purchases from the United States fell 17.6 percent, while imports from China and Japan increased 14.9 percent and 8.8 percent, respectively.

Spending increased on household and automotive goods, up 12.7 percent, groceries, up 6.2 percent, and clothing and fashion products, up 2.5 percent.

* This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP.

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