Top 5 Desktop and Mobile Browsers Used in South Korea

To better understand consumers in South Korea, it is critical to understand the top browsers used in South Korea. Browsers are the portals to the web that are filled with rich features and extensions. They are like any software program so anyone can technically make a browser. However, the best browsers need to do two things very well. First, they need to be able to establish a persistent connection with the server to access files so you can view a website. Second, the browser needs to translate web programming code for the operating system you are using so it will be able to understand it.

Many might not know this, but there are hundreds of browsers people can use. Most have only heard of probably 3-5 of them. The most popular browsers in the United States are Edge, Chrome, Safari, and Firefox. However, for South Korea, this is not the case. Because many Korean websites use Korean text and different coding languages, each will look different depending on the browser used. Therefore many Korean businesses develop their platform based on this knowledge. Since browsers will interpret these websites differently it is important to understand which are the most commonly used Browsers in South Korea before you develop your platform or app. Below are the stats for the top browsers used in South Korea for desktop as well as mobile.

Top 5 Desktop Browsers Used in South Korea

1. Chrome – 69.54%

Chrome is the most commonly used browser for both desktop and mobile in South Korea. It has a strong extension ecosystem and a reliable suite of mobile apps. Also as more and more Koreans start to switch from Naver to Google, many are seeing the value that Chrome provides in relation to Google Account integration. It is fast, free, secure, and easily customizable. The amount of add-ons and extensions for Chrome is impressive. As Google continues to grow in Korea, more and more Koreans will start to use Chrome for its Google service integration. All bookmarks, passwords, and data are accessible from their Google account.

2. Internet Explorer – 14.08%

Since Microsoft went with Edge over Internet Explorer over 5 years ago, many thought Internet Explorer would die out. However many businesses in Korea are still relying on Internet Explorer and haven’t been able to modernize. This is because back in the late 90s in Korea, there was a law that required using Internet Explorer to shop on Korean sites. This was because they required using strong online authentication via digital certificates (ActiveX control). Therefore for many years, to do business with a South Korean eCommerce site, they needed to run Internet Explorer.

Today, Internet Explorer is still popular in many Asian countries, but nowhere near to the degree that it is in South Korea. The truth is that in 2022 many web developers outside of South Korea are not testing for Internet Explorer. They are testing on modern browsers. This is why it is critical for businesses in Korea to move away from Internet Explorer and focus their attention on Chrome when targeting international visitors.

3. Whale Browser – 4.4%

Many probably never heard of Whale Browser. It is Naver’s (Google for Korea) web browser. The Whale Browser is an important tool for companies in Korea to drive users to other services. It is slowly gaining popularity from users because of its fast browsing speed which integrates seamlessly with Naver services. Starting from late last year, Naver has been offering free giveaway events for users who download the Whale browser and write reviews. They are also actively making it easier for developers to develop add-on content more easily on Whale. Their mobile share is larger than desktop but both are trending in the right direction. In October of last year, Naver signed an MOU with LG Electronics to develop a fast and energy-efficient Whale browser that runs on LG smartphones.

4. Edge – 3.72%

Edge is Microsoft’s web browser and it is the second-most popular web browser in the world. However, in Korea, it barely cracks the top 5. However, data shows that Koreans are slowly switching away from other browsers in favor of the new Edge. An argument can be made that Edge offers a better user experience than Chrome and works great for both Windows and Mac.

In addition, many Koreans starting to care a lot about online privacy these days. Edge offers InPrivate which automatically deletes search history, cookies, and site data when a user is finished with their web browsing session. Microsoft Edge is the only browser that offers a built-in InPrivate search with Bing. However, almost no Koreans use Bing for searches. Therefore it will take some time before Edge really catches on in Korea.

5. Edge Legacy – 3.11%

Top 5 Mobile Browsers Used in South Korea

1. Chrome – 39.34%

2. Samsung Internet – 26.95%

It might shock many to see the Samsung Internet browser come in 2nd on this list. This goes to show just how big Chrome is even in Korea. Many Koreans I have spoken to say that Samsung Internet is actually a better Android browser than Chrome. It lets you install extensions and provides a better scrolling experience on Samsung smartphones. In addition, it consumes less power and saves battery life. Samsung Internet is installed out of the box on every Galaxy phone. However, Chrome is still the default, but users have the option to make Samsung Internet their default browser. Samsung Internet has a dedicated section for ad blockers, and you have the ability to pick from a variety of Ad-blocking providers.

3. Safari – 20.14%

In a country that has Samsung, it is surprising to see so many Koreans buying Apple products. Koreans who have an iPhone use Safari because it is already preinstalled. While Chrome is faster, you will need to download Chrome and for most Koreans, Safari is “fast enough”. In addition, with Safari your iPhone will get more battery life thanks to Apple’s in-house optimizations for MacOS and the underlying hardware. Safari is not offered outside the Apple ecosystem.

4. Whale Browser – 9.19%

5. Puffin – 3.32%

Puffin is a very secure web browser but it is not free. It takes a different approach to web browsing by rendering websites server-side. This is why it is very secure and offers a lot of privacy. Therefore many Koreans use Puffin for sites they might not be able to access from the other browsers. The Puffin mobile version is free but offers a pro-version for $5 a month. Koreans only use the mobile version.

In Conclusion

Knowing the most commonly used browsers will be very important when you get into web development for the Korean market. Programmers in Korea spend months making sure their app or site is working correctly on the top browsers used in South Korea. Therefore, programmers could save a lot of time if they knew which browsers to focus on. For example, very few people use Opera and shockingly very few consumers in South Korea use Firefox. Therefore there is really no need to optimize your app for these browsers.

Koreans are still using Internet Explorer which is, in my opinion, the least accurate of the top 5 browsers used in South Korea. Therefore as a business in Korea, it is important for your web developers to be familiar with Internet Explorer even if they don’t like it. In addition, for mobile app developers, be familiar with Samsung Internet and test your apps on Android using this browser. Find out some of the benefits that come with using Samsung Internet and this will help you better develop your app for the average Samsung Galaxy user.