PC gaming in South Korea - statistics & facts

The South Korean video game market has continuously increased in value over the past decade. While mobile gaming, which is the most popular form of gaming in the country, made up most of the domestic market, PC gaming contributed over a quarter of the value. Crucially, PC games dominate the domestic and international e-sports scene. League of Legends (LoL) is currently the most successful game for South Korean professional players and is led by Faker (Lee Sang Hyeok), who is also the most successful LoL player worldwide.

Who plays PC games?

Among gamers, those who play PC games tend to skew young and male, with the largest player base being in their twenties. PC gamers commonly played video games two to three times per week, though around 18 percent played almost every day. Roleplaying games (RPGs) and shooters were the most popular computer game genres. Though in PC bangs (literally “PC rooms”), preferences shifted more towards real-time multiplayer genres. Besides being an opportunity to socialize, such establishments usually have high-end PCs, offer paid games, and even provide PC-bang specific events or bonuses, further elevating the gaming experience. The popularity of LoL is evident here also, as it is the most played game in PC bangs by far.

Prevalence in e-Sports

South Korea is one of the world’s largest e-sports markets, with a revenue of around 274.4 million U.S. dollars in 2023. Professional players are generally signed to professional teams, and have multiple streams of revenue, ranging from salaries, sponsorships, streaming-related income to tournament prize money. The vast majority of pro e-sports players in South Korea specialize in PC games, despite mobile gaming being the most common gaming platform in the country overall. This is also reflected in the types of tournaments held, which also prioritize PC games. As such, PC gaming is a vital and entrenched part of the gaming industry, particularly in its most public-facing parts.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Mar 7, 2024

Key insights

Global market share of Korean PC games
13.2%
Share of Koreans playing PC games
38.4%
Most popular PC game genre
Roleplaying games (RPGs)
Get more insights

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Global market share of the South Korean gaming industry based on sales revenue in 2021, by category

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Share of South Korean gaming industry on global scale 2021, by category

Annual growth rate of the PC gaming market in South Korea from 2016 to 2021 with forecasts for 2022 to 2024

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PC game market growth South Korea 2016-2024

Estimated sales revenue of leading video game publishers in South Korea in 2022 (in trillion South Korean won)

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Leading game publishers revenue in South Korea 2022

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