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Google has overtaken Naver as the leading mobile search app in South Korea, marking a first in the industry. According to AI technology company Aigeiaworks' mobile index, Google's app had 47.02 million monthly active users (MAU) last month, surpassing Naver's 46.84 million MAU by 17,283 users. This is the first time Google has topped Naver in mobile app usage since the mobile index began tracking related statistics in March 2021.

Google's MAU exceeded 40 million in May of last year, and again in May of this year, narrowing the gap with Naver, which had led the previous month with 43.3 million MAU. Meanwhile, Naver's MAU has stagnated or increased slightly since January 2023, ranging from 43 to 46 million users. Google Chrome also recorded 42.45 million MAU, placing it third.

Industry experts attribute the surge in Google's popularity to the company's aggressive expansion of its own AI model, Jemini, and the recent strengthening of its AI search capabilities. The shift in user behavior, from searching for information through keywords to asking AI questions for answers, is disrupting the domestic portal market that Naver and Daum have dominated.

The rise of ChatGPT, which had 1.65 million MAU last month, is also noteworthy. Its user base has surpassed that of Daum's 630,000 MAU and is now more than double that of Daum. However, Daum saw a decrease in MAU from 768,462 in April last year. The outcome of Google's ranking reversal remains uncertain, with some speculating it may be a temporary fluctuation.

Nevertheless, the broader shift in the domestic portal market towards AI-driven services is expected to intensify competitive dynamics in the industry.