S. Koreans watch YouTube for 2 hours per day
South Koreans spent an average of two hours per day on the global video streaming platform YouTube, industry data showed Sunday.
Korean users collectively spent 69.65 million hours on YouTube as of Tuesday, according to the mobile index data from industry tracker IGAWorks.
It marked 29.99 million daily active users, with each user spending an average of 139.37 minutes per day.
In particular, the daily average usage time rose to over 150 minutes on Sundays.
The IGAWorks data also showed that Instagram had 13.4 million DAUs as of Tuesday, with users spending an average of 50.58 minutes on the app.
KakaoTalk, the country's top mobile messenger run by Kakao Corp., posted 37.16 million DAUs, with an average daily usage time of 30.12 minutes.
Naver, the largest mobile and online portal app, reported 26.51 million DAUs, with users spending an average of 25.4 minutes per day. (Yonhap)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
![[Grace Kao] Astro's ‘Call Out' at 'Astroad Stargraphy' 2025](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimg.heraldcorp.com%2Fnews%2Fcms%2F2025%2F06%2F09%2Fnews-p.v1.20250609.c61d6147c0ec4acebc129a49d02769cf_T1.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
![[Grace Kao] Astro's ‘Call Out' at 'Astroad Stargraphy' 2025](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fall-logos-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fkoreaherald.com.png&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
Korea Herald
4 hours ago
- Korea Herald
[Grace Kao] Astro's ‘Call Out' at 'Astroad Stargraphy' 2025
Because I live in the US, attending a K-pop concert in Korea is a very special treat for me. This past weekend, with my fellow Arohas, I experienced Astro's 2025 'The Astroad Stargraphy' concert on June 7 at the Inspire Arena in Incheon. There was a full band at the left and right ends of the front stage. Astro's members are MJ, Jinjin, Cha Eunwoo, Moon Bin, Rocky and Sanha. It was a sold-out show, and bittersweet for several reasons. First, there were many reminders of Moon Bin's absence due to his tragic passing. He was listed on the banners and in the closing credits. Many of the dance formations held a vacant spot for him, including an empty mic stand during 'We Still.' Second, Cha Eunwoo is scheduled to enlist in the military in July. Lastly, Rocky, who officially left the group in 2023, joined the group on stage for all of its older songs. This was the first group concert in more than three years, and given Cha Eunwoo's enlistment, Moon Bin's passing and Rocky's departure, Astro's future configuration is, at best, uncertain. There are so many amazing parts of the experience of a K-pop concert in Korea that are absent in both K-pop and other pop concerts in the US. This show was a full 3 hours and 20 minutes long. In America, I've only attended one concert with a single artist that lasted that long, and that was Bruce Springsteen in the 1980s. Astro's light sticks are intricate, and the arena was dominated by pink and purple lights. According to fans' listings of the set list, the group performed 29 songs. Honestly, I don't know how they did it. Audience members were given diffraction glasses — when we wore them, all of the white stage lights turned into beautiful rainbow stars, befitting the theme of the concert. We enjoyed a traditional T-stage, which connected to a secondary stage at the back of the floor. This meant that at various parts of the concert, the five members could see different segments of the audience. I have actually never seen such a thoughtful layout for audience members. Astro's intricate stages and light shows were beautifully well-planned. The large video screens behind the members, as well as on the side panels of the moving segments of the stage, were visually appealing, and the concert made generous use of lights and flares. I also loved the dangling lights hanging above the circular stage, which were manipulated into astrologically inspired designs as the lengths of the strings shifted. Because my Korean is limited, I was unable to follow most of the conversational parts (ments) of the concert. However, there was one clear theme — nostalgia for the early days of the group. Videos and song backgrounds featured old images of the group, including those of Moonbin. 'We Still' in particular was accompanied by a montage of photos and videos. In contrast to many K-pop concerts, this show evoked a wide range of feelings from the audience. The emotional ballads 'Circles,' 'Twilight,' and 'Fly' were newer singles and express philosophical and somber themes about life, including those related to Moon Bin's passing. These were composed primarily by leader Jinjin and producer and topliner Subin Kim. 'Circles' may have also evoked the circular section of one part of the stage. At other times, their early songs lightened the mood. Astro's debut song 'Hide & Seek' received thunderous applause. This was followed by 'Breathless,' another tune from early in their catalog that is nothing if not cheerful. 'After Midnight' featured a large video background of ocean waves, which matched the lyrics of the second pre-chorus: 'I'm fine, not fine, the endless ocean.' This song was preceded by the upbeat 2022 song 'Candy Sugar Pop' — one of the last singles that featured all six members. I also enjoyed their performance of 'Crazy Sexy Cool,' although I imagine it was hard to dance in their white and heavily embroidered sparkly suits. The members were in top form, and their personas were intact. Jinjin, whom I had the pleasure to meet and write about last year, was energetic and expressed seemingly endless positive energy. His leadership qualities were on full display. MJ was the silly one, joking throughout the evening. I just adore his singing. Cha Eunwoo, who is often known as the most handsome idol in K-pop, was treated as such. The almost entirely female audience fanatically screamed, especially when he took off his jacket near the end of the show. Rocky was treated as the long-lost member who returned — fans were so thrilled to see him and wished he would stick around. Finally, Sanha was the sweet and friendly member who was bright and cheerful all night. The show ended with the song 'Call Out.' This song lasted at least 15 minutes as the members would pause in the middle of the chorus to offer additional ments while other members would run through the audience sections. The lyrics are about the members calling out to their fans to remember them. I doubt any of the Arohas at the concert will soon forget Astro.
Korea Herald
9 hours ago
- Korea Herald
'Maybe Happy Ending' triumphs with 6 Tony Awards, including best musical
Broadway hit adapted from a Korean musical caps winning streak at Tonys This year's Tony Awards marked a milestone for the musical "Maybe Happy Ending," a heartwarming South Korean robot romance that began its Broadway life at the Belasco Theatre in November 2024. The production, whose origins go back to 2014 in a small theater in Seoul, emerged as one of the evening's most celebrated winners, taking home six awards, including best musical and best leading actor in a musical for Darren Criss, and best direction of a musical for director Michael Arden. Playwright and lyricist Park Chun-hue — also known as Hue Park — and composer Will Aronson, longtime collaborators for over a decade, won best book of a musical and best original score. "Maybe Happy Ending" also took home best scenic design of a musical. Set in a near-future Seoul, 'Maybe Happy Ending' follows the story of Oliver and Claire — two outdated HelperBot androids discarded by their human owners — who find each other and form a bond neither expected. Starring Darren Criss as Oliver and Broadway newcomer Helen J. Shen as Claire, the show blends science fiction with poignant emotional realism, bringing to life themes of connection, obsolescence and hope. "The musical's win marks the first successful transition of a small-scale Korean production from Seoul's Daehangno theater district to a major Broadway stage, earning recognition for both its artistic excellence and commercial viability. It also stands as a historic milestone, as it is the first time a Korean creator has won Tony Awards in the musical categories for best book and best score," Choi Seung-youn, a South Korean musical critic and professor, told The Korea Herald on Monday. The sweep by "Maybe Happy Ending" came as little surprise, as the season had already been a remarkable winning streak for the musical, originally written in Korean by playwright and lyricist Park with music by longtime collaborator Aronson. The duo, known for their bilingual productions, saw their work earn six honors at the 69th Annual Drama Desk Awards, including outstanding musical. The show was also named best musical by the 89th New York Drama Critics' Circle and secured two major awards at the 91st Annual Drama League Awards: outstanding production of a musical and outstanding direction of a musical. Formula for success Experts say the success of "Maybe Happy Ending" is largely driven by its powerful universal themes. Speaking last week at a conference at K-Musical Market, an annual showcase of Korean musicals, Sean Patrick Flahaven, chief theatricals executive of Concord Theatricals, remarked on the show's strength in the licensing market: 'It's not so much dependent on being a Korean story as it's a more universal story. So I think that's an important aspect to have — that a compelling specific story can have universality as well — and that kind of universality speaks to success in future licensing.' The musical critic Choi shared that view. 'This achievement owes much to the show's universal themes. The story's portrayal of love and friendship between soon-to-be obsolete beings resonates deeply with audience members,' she said. Choi also emphasized the impact of Aronson's refined and delicate score, particularly his enhancement of jazz numbers to give the music a distinctly 'American' resonance for Broadway audiences. 'Equally important were the meticulous scenic design and direction, which carefully rendered a digital world tailored to the emotional arc of the story,' she said. 'In the end, every element of the production came together in harmony to create a work of great beauty. And as a musical with a distinctly Korean identity, it also contributed meaningfully to Broadway's ongoing conversation around diversity and representation,' she added. The show's origins go back to 2014, when it was developed with funding from Korea's Wooran Foundation. It premiered in Seoul in 2016 and ran for five seasons in small theaters in Daehangno, before its English-language adaptation made it to New York's Belasco Theatre in November 2024. During its development, the Broadway production generated anticipation with the involvement of producer Jeffrey Richards, an eight-time Tony Award winner. Park and Aronson, who met in New York when Park was an international student at New York University, worked on four musicals together. The duo's recent project, "Il Tenore," which premiered in Seoul in 2023, also won top honors, including the grand prize and composition award at a major Korean musical awards ceremony. Three decades of effort Though Park is the first Korean national to win a Tony Award in the musical theater category, Korean musicals have been striving, through various forms and evolving strategies, to break into Broadway for more than three decades. The first major push for a Korean musical to reach Broadway began with "The Last Empress," which premiered in 1995 and was invited to New York's Lincoln Center in 1997. Although it wasn't a full-scale commercial run, it marked the first Korean musical to appear on a US Broadway-affiliated stage. Efforts continued with tryouts and workshops in 2002, but a full Broadway debut never materialized. In 2003, the nonverbal hit Nanta became the first Korean production to enter Off-Broadway, later expanding to Las Vegas and London's West End. By the 2010s, Korean companies had shifted focus to investment-driven collaborations, with CJ ENM co-producing Broadway hits such as "Kinky Boots" (2013), "Moulin Rouge!" (2021) and "MJ the Musical" (2022), all of which received multiple Tony Awards. In 2023, "The Great Gatsby," produced by Shin Chun-soo of OD Company, marked a new strategic step, with a Korean producer leading the development and financing of a Broadway-bound production from the ground up. The show officially opened on Broadway and later transferred to the West End. Similarly, "Marie Curie," which premiered in Korea in 2020, was staged in London's West End in 2023. Following the musical's Tony Awards sweep, congratulations poured in from across Korea's creative and political spheres. At a press conference for "Squid Game" Season 3 in Seoul on Monday, director Hwang Dong-hyuk, who won best director for a drama series at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2022, said he was 'pleasantly surprised' by the news. 'Among the four major awards ceremonies — the Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tonys — I always thought the Tonys were the most distant," he said. "So I am incredibly proud to hear a Korean musical won such prestigious awards there." President Lee Jae-myung also issued a statement celebrating the historic win. 'This achievement is by no means the result of a single day's effort. It is the culmination of the dedication, passion and creative determination shown by our cultural and artistic community over many years. 'Today's Tony Award win is not the end, but a new beginning. I will do my utmost to ensure that more Korean artists thrive on the global stage, and that our culture continues to inspire and uplift people around the world.' The president also emphasized the government's role in supporting the arts, pledging to 'further strengthen support for the culture and arts sector, and serve as a strong foundation so that our artists can fully pursue their dreams and shine on the world stage.' gypark@
Korea Herald
12 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Korean battery-makers push President Lee for direct subsidies
Korean firms seek bolder funding as Chinese rivals leverage robust government backing South Korean battery manufacturers are urging President Lee Jae-myung to act as they face slowing electric vehicle demand and intensifying competition from Chinese rivals increasingly dominating global markets. On May 31, three days before the presidential election, Lee wrote in a Facebook post, 'I will recharge the South Korean economy with K-batteries,' underscoring his belief that the battery industry is key to driving Korea's next economic leap. Lee's pledges included strengthening research and development to secure cutting-edge technologies such as all-solid-state batteries; introducing domestic production tax incentives; creating a "battery triangle belt" connecting the Chungcheong, Yeongnam, and Honam regions; increasing battery demand through energy storage systems; and nurturing the battery recycling industry. Calls for IRA-style subsidies While industry insiders are optimistic about the domestic tax incentives, they anticipate a more direct form of financial support from the government. Lee's tax benefit pledge offers tax breaks for companies producing and selling battery products in Korea, similar to the US Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit under the Inflation Reduction Act. However, AMPC also includes options like 'cash refunds' and 'third-party transfers' in addition to tax benefits. 'If we could receive cash returns, we'd have more flexibility to expand investments in global markets — particularly in the US, where rising tariffs on automobiles and parts are already dragging down the EV market,' said an industry source on condition of anonymity. The source emphasized that additional support measures are needed, pointing out that unlike China, which offers subsidies from direct funding to state-led R&D programs, the Korean government has only granted corporate tax credits. Under the Act on Restriction on Special Cases Concerning Taxation, the battery industry is designated a national strategic technology, making it eligible for approximately 15 percent and 30 percent tax credits on facility investments and R&D, respectively. However, these credits apply only to companies that are generating taxable profits. In the first quarter, Korea's top three battery makers — LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI, and SK On — all reported operating losses, even when factoring in benefits from AMPC. As a result, they are likely ineligible for domestic tax breaks, despite having collectively borrowed 49.6 trillion won ($36.5 billion) for large-scale investments both at home and abroad. Chinese surge Experts suggest that even with the battery sector's strategic importance, direct subsidies from the Korean government remain unlikely. 'Korea has traditionally been wary of direct funding due to the associated risks and concerns over misusing taxpayer money,' said Kim De-jong, a business professor at Sejong University. 'In contrast, while China provides massive subsidies, it often gains substantial control over the company's management and operations.' Kim added that more feasible alternatives to direct subsidies could include offering discounted rates on electricity and water for domestic production facilities. Meanwhile, Chinese battery giants CATL and BYD have strengthened their grip on the global EV market. According to SNE Research, CATL and BYD held market shares of 38.1 percent and 17.3 percent, respectively, as of the latest period, up from the previous year. LG Energy Solution ranked third but saw its share fall from 12.3 percent to 10.2 percent. SK On and Samsung SDI also experienced declines, with market shares dropping to 4.3 percent and 3.3 percent, respectively.
