90.6 people out of 100 people in South Korea use Smartphones. Number of cellphones that are being used in South Korea has surpassed 60 million which is more than number of population in South Korea. This indicates that single person in South Korea has 1.175 phones.

According to ‘South Korea’s social index’, which was announced by Statistics Korea on the 23rd, percentage of people who use Smartphones in South Korea is 90.6% which indicates that 90.6 people out of 100 people in South Korea use Smartphones. This is the first time when the percentage has surpassed 90%.

This percentage in 2011, when related statistics started being announced, was 45.2%. Number of Smartphone users had quickly increased every year and the percentage surpassed 80% (80.2%) in 2014 and eventually surpassed 90%. This percentage was calculated higher since there are people who possess more than one Smartphone. It was shown that 77% of people who use cellphones have Smartphones.

“Number of people who use 2G phones is not high and most of people in South Korea use Smartphones.” said a representative for Statistics Korea.

Number of cellphones that are being used in South Korea in 2016 was 60.287 million and it was increased by 4.1% compared to 2015. Percentage of people who use cellphones in South Korea in 2016 was 117.5%. This percentage surpassed 100% for the first time in 2010 (102.4%) and it increased consistently every year after that. On the other hand, number of people who use wired phones reached its highest point in 2007 (23.13 million) and was 15.746 million in 2016 after it started to decrease after 2007.

Percentage of internet use by population of 3 years and older in 2016 was 88.3% which is 3.2% increase compared to 2015. Average internet use per week was 14.3 hours which is 0.7 hour increase compared to 2015 (13.6 hours). People in their 20s had used internet the most per week at 22.8 hours. Average internet uses per week for 30s, 10s, and 40s were 19.5 hours, 15.4 hours, and 15.3 hours respectively.

Population in South Korea in 2016 was calculated at 51.25 million. Growth rate of population in 2016 was 0.45% and it is estimated that this percentage will continue to decrease every year from now on and reach 0% in 2032 and show minus growth rate after 2032. Some calculated that number of population will reach its point in 2031 at 52.96 million and start to decrease after that.

Hourly wage for companies that have 1 or more workers that receive hourly wage in 2015 was calculated to be $12.28 (13,753 KRW) which is 5.7% decrease compared to 2014. Average hourly wage had continued to increase after 2009, when South Korea had suffered through financial crisis, and dropped for the first time in 6 years.

It was calculated that South Korea’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) in 2015 was $1.39 trillion (1.5586 quadrillion KRW) which is 4.9% increase compared to 2014. GNI (Gross National Income) per person in 2015 was calculated to be $27,340 which is $731 decrease compared to 2014.

Staff Reporter Yoo, Seonil | ysi@etnews.com