Mistplay: Spending habits of Mobile Gamers in South Korea in 2024

May 17, 2024

The study is based on a survey of more than 200 players aged over 18 from South Korea, as well as a previously published report on the payment habits of players from different countries.

Key Habits

South Korean users are twice as likely to spend in 6 or more games than North American users.

In 2024, 42% of Korean players plan to spend the same amount as last year. 36% want to reduce their spending; 6% - on the contrary - increase it.

66% of Korean players installed games via referrals (including word-of-mouth) over the past year.

Overall, South Korean players are less responsive to positive ratings, discounts, and offers when deciding to download a new game compared to North American users.

89% of the Korean audience participates in various loyalty programs. Only 14% of this volume is gaming-related.

The key motivation for spending among Koreans is the opportunity to progress further in the game (66% of respondents named this motivation). Also, 49% of users noted that they make in-app purchases just for their own personal enjoyment and satisfaction.

Only 14% of South Korean users are willing to pay for access to exclusive content. In North America, this figure is 37%. Additionally, South Korean players are not particularly motivated by ad removal (16% vs. 29% in North America) and the opportunity to support developers (7% vs. 18% in North America).

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The main types of purchases in South Korea are in-game currency (50%), bundles (31%), extra lives or hints (27%). Loot boxes account for only 9%.

❗️This may be related to the regulation of loot boxes in the country. Developers are required to disclose item drop rates.

47% of Korean users note that they make a purchase in a game within the first 30 days. At the same time, 12% of Korean players are ready to make a purchase on the first day (in North America, this figure is only 5%).

The main trigger for making a purchase for South Korean users is reaching a point in the game where further progress slows down without payment.
49% of users from South Korea noted that they would pay more if they saw personalized offers. 40% showed interest in time-limited offers; 35% - in seasonal offers.

Mistplay notes that the social component has a significant impact on purchases in South Korea. Users compete to be at the top of leaderboards - this is part of the local gaming culture.
Korean users mostly learn about offers through push notifications (33%). For comparison, in North America, this figure is only 16%. In South Korea, notifications through social networks and text announcements are also not very popular. In-game announcements are also less popular.

The main motivation for South Korean users is the opportunity to relax (79%). They are also attracted by the opportunity to visit new worlds (29%) and try something new (25%).
Korean players surveyed are not very interested in the opportunity to express themselves (12%) or become the strongest (3%).

❗️However, above you can find out, that many Koreans do invest in reaching the top of leaderboards.