By Sagar V. Mankar 
South Korea’s mobile gaming industry has cemented its position as the fourth-largest market globally, generating $6.77 billion in revenue in 2024. It ranks just behind the United States, China, and Japan, according to a joint report by Adjoe, Statista, and Airbridge. With a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.25%, the market is projected to reach $8.6 billion by 2028.
Nearly 24 million South Koreans, or 46% of the country’s 51 million population, actively engage in mobile gaming. Notably, around 800,000 new players join the gaming community every year. The report highlights South Korea’s aging demographic, with individuals aged 55 and above making up 39% of the population. This trend indicates a growing opportunity for developers to target older, higher-spending gamers.
Revenue Leaders: RPG, Strategy, and Casual Games
Role-playing games (RPGs) dominated the revenue charts, accounting for 47% of total earnings in 2024, or $3.17 billion. A significant portion, 80-90%, of this revenue came from in-app purchases (IAPs). Strategy games followed with $716.6 million in revenue, while casual games brought in $296.7 million.
In terms of downloads, casual games took the lead with 177 million downloads in 2024, surpassing RPGs with 133 million and strategy games with 70 million. Casual games also showed strong growth potential, with a projected 38% increase in downloads over the next five years.
Market Trends and Insights
The report notes that South Korea’s top-grossing games enjoy 4-5 times higher daily playtime than the global average across genres. Developers are encouraged to prioritize player retention and engagement, as extended playtime is a key driver of success.
RPGs remain the highest-earning genre, with iOS revenue expected to triple within five years. Meanwhile, strategy games are attracting an older male audience, predominantly on Android, offering developers an opportunity to optimize for this platform.
Casual games continue to gain traction, particularly among female players, who spend an average of 45 minutes daily, double the global average.
Sources: Adjoe, Statista, Airbridge Reports