KakaoTalk leads social media usage in Korea, followed by YouTube, Instagram

The mobile messaging app KakaoTalk remains the most widely used social media platform in Korea, followed by YouTube and Instagram, a survey showed Thursday.

According to research released by the Korea Press Foundation, 98.9 percent of respondents reported using KakaoTalk, while 84.9 percent used YouTube.

Instagram ranked third with 38.6 percent, followed by Naver's Band at 28.6 percent and Naver's Blog at 21.7 percent.

The survey was conducted from October to November last year on 3,000 people aged over 19.

Across all age groups, KakaoTalk and YouTube maintained the two top spots.

However, the third most used platform varied by age.

Among respondents in their 20s, 30s and 40s, Instagram ranked third with 80.9 percent, 70.7 percent and 47.5 percent, respectively, though it was closely followed by Naver's Band among those in their 40s (36.8 percent).

In contrast, Naver's Band was the third most popular platform among users in their 50s (40.6 percent) and 60s (31.1 percent).

The survey classified 43 mobile or online services as social media, defining them as platforms used to "share opinions, thoughts, experiences and information."

A key finding of the survey highlighted differences in usage patterns: Instagram and Facebook were primarily used for communicating with acquaintances, while YouTube and other video services were favored for content consumption from influencers and celebrities.

Additionally, the survey highlighted news consumption habits on social media.

Among those who read news via these platforms, 31.6 percent were unaware of the source of the news, and over 45 percent admitted they do not check the name of the news outlet. Only 22.5 percent said they verify the media source, with younger respondents being more likely to check than older users. (Yonhap)