South Korea App Store economy reaches 38.1 trillion won in 2025 study

South Korea's App Store ecosystem generated an estimated 38.1 trillion won ($26.9 billion) in billings and sales in 2025, more than double its size over five years, according to research commissioned by Apple. The study found physical goods and services such as travel bookings, grocery deliveries, and retail purchases accounted for about 32.3 trillion won ($22.8 billion), or roughly 85% of the total. Digital goods and services contributed 3.7 trillion won ($2.6 billion), while in-app advertising (ads shown inside apps) added 2.1 trillion won ($1.5 billion). Apple said developers paid no fees to the company on more than 90% of the total commerce because commissions apply only to part of digital goods and services, and it cited its App Store Small Business Program as helping drive an 85% revenue increase for small-scale developers over five years. The report also pointed to the export strength of Korean app makers: about 76% of domestic developers logged downloads from users outside South Korea, and those earning overseas revenue did so across an average of 30 countries and regions. Korean game developers were especially international, with about 85% of downloads coming from abroad. Domestically, Korean developers' apps accounted for roughly 60% of downloads and about 50% of local user revenue. The Korean App Store drew nearly 12 million weekly visitors on average last year, and domestic iOS users downloaded apps more than 670 million times annually. Apple framed the findings as evidence of a strong developer economy in a key market, while the report arrived alongside broader momentum in the company's business, including a nearly 22% rise in fiscal third-quarter iPhone revenue to $54.25 billion and shipment data from IDC (market research firm) showing Apple among only two major smartphone makers to grow in the second calendar quarter.