Apple Highlights Remarkable Growth of Korean App Store Developers with Latest Data

Apple announced the growth of the Korean App Store ecosystem based on a study conducted by Professor Im Jae-hyun from Seoul National University and Dr. Juliet Kamina from Analysis Group. The total billings and sales in Korea through the App Store ecosystem in 2025 amounted to approximately KRW 38.1 trillion, more than doubling compared to five years ago.

Over 90% of total transactions came from physical goods and services, in-app advertising, and digital goods and services outside the App Store, for which Apple does not collect a commission. Small developer revenue also increased by 85% over the past five years, with the App Store Small Business Program providing a foundation for growth.

In 2025, the Korean App Store averaged approximately 12 million weekly visitors, and domestic iOS users downloaded apps approximately 670 million times annually. The transaction breakdown is as follows:

• Physical goods and services: approximately KRW 32.3 trillion
• Digital goods and services: approximately KRW 3.7 trillion
• In-app advertising: approximately KRW 2.1 trillion

In the physical goods and services sector, travel, groceries, and general retail showed strong growth, while mobile games, streaming services, and enterprise apps drove growth in the digital sector. Demand for photo and video editing apps and educational apps also increased significantly.

Korean developers achieved success not only in the domestic market but also globally. Apps by domestic developers accounted for approximately 60% of downloads by Korean users and nearly half of revenue from domestic users, with 76% of domestic developers recording downloads from multiple countries and regions outside Korea. Developers generating overseas revenue earned income from App Stores in an average of 30 countries and regions.

Notably, approximately 85% of App Store downloads for game developers came from overseas users. Haegin, the developer of the social game Play Together, recorded 230 million cumulative downloads within five years of launch, with over 90% of users discovering the game on the App Store.

The 3D drawing and modeling app Feather: 3D Drawing was also highlighted as a global success story for a domestic developer. A winner of the 2025 Apple Design Award, Feather has been available in 156 countries since its launch in 2024 and has secured over 100,000 paid users.