The rapid growth of South Korea’s mobile device market is largely due to the phenomenal rise of the country’s gaming industry, now the 4th largest worldwide.
Thanks to the support given by the Republic of Korea (ROK) government, which began in 2000. During the early beginnings of esports, the Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism collaborated with Samsung and Microsoft in sponsoring the World Cyber Olympics. Fast forward to today, South Korean esports athletes are the recognized leaders in the world of esports. The gaming market on the other hand, developed into a massive industry not only in terms of gaming content but also in gaming devices, including consoles and mobile phones.
Most important of all is the ROK government’s focused investments in Internet and Communication Technologies (ICT); of building infrastructures with high-speed connection capabilities. Naturally, this made video gaming a worthwhile experience for most Koreans.
South Korea and Its Gaming Content Market
According to the 2020 game user market report released by the Korea Creative Content Authority (KOCCA), 70.5% of the country’s entire population benefit from the country’s high-speed Internet penetration and massive gaming infrastructure. So much so that the gaming market which accounts for the ROK’s national content industry is currently estimated as worth $7 billion.
Mobile games have made impressive headway and have largely contributed in catapulting South Korea as the 4th largest global provider of game content. In 2018 alone, Korea’s mobile games brought revenues that spurred an increase of 23.1%. At present, Netmarble, NCSoft and Nexson are at the forefront of SoKor’s mobile games industry. Yet industry experts say that the avenues are still open for strategy games.
Apparently, there’s a high demand for such types of mobile games but not many have been developed locally; considering that there’s also an increasing number of adult mobile players in South Korea.
PC Gaming Still Popular in Many SoKor Communities
PC games are still popular in Korean communities especially in PC Bangs (PC Rooms) that serve as training grounds for young Koreans aspiring to become professional esports athletes. Even PC Bangs have made great improvements in providing young gamers the best esports training environment.
Aside from constantly upgrading PC rooms with the latest gaming devices, sophisticated PC Bangs now offer nutritious meals and have installed fitness gyms; apparently mimicking the training academies used by gaming companies for their professional esports tournament players.
South Korea’s Continuously Growing eSports Industry
South Korea has in fact made a record as having the fastest growing esports industry compared to other countries who have been following the nation’s footsteps. To date, SoKor’s esports industry is now a multi-billion-dollar business.
It does not come as a surprise at all if betting on esports tournaments have been added as betting markets in the global sport betting sector. However, since esports betting options are offered only online by UK and EU sportsbook operators, many South Koreans are barred from engaging in this type of sports betting activity. Nevertheless, Korea-based websites make it possible for locals and foreign residents alike, to access the sports betting markets of leading UK-licensed bookmakers.