Apple's App Store generated 38 tln won in revenue in S. Korea in 2025: report

Apple's App Store generated a staggering 38 trillion won, equivalent to approximately $26.8 billion, in revenue last year in South Korea, marking a more than doubling of earnings from five years prior, according to a joint industry report released Thursday. The findings, published by consulting firm Analysis Group and Seoul National University Professor Michael Lim, were disclosed by Apple Inc.

Breaking down the numbers by category, sales from real-world goods and services accounted for a whopping 32.3 trillion won, representing 85% of the total revenue. Digital products and services contributed 3.7 trillion won, while in-app advertisements brought in 2.1 trillion won.

Notably, Apple did not collect fees on approximately 90% of transactions made through its App Store, as the company only charges fees for purchases made within its digital category. The user rate for Apple's App Store in South Korea also saw a significant growth, with average weekly visits nearing 12 million in the previous year.

Furthermore, South Korean-developed mobile apps made up 60% of all downloads in the country, and 50% of sales within the local market. Remarkably, 76% of local developers saw their mobile apps installed in countries outside of South Korea, with game developers leading the pack, with around 85% of downloads coming from abroad.