8 out of 10 Koreans Consume Digitally... Twice as Much Since the COVID-19 Pandemic

Consumer Agency, Results of the '2021 Korea Consumer Life Index' Survey

Status by Type of Digital Consumption and Transactions.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] More than 8 out of 10 people in South Korea have engaged in consumption through digital channels since the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, digital consumption among the 50s and 60s age groups has surged, and transactions on social networking service (SNS) platforms have also increased significantly across various sectors.

On the 9th, the Korea Consumer Agency announced the results of the "2021 Korea Consumption Life Index" survey, which reflects changes in consumption patterns due to COVID-19. The survey, conducted nationwide from May 14 to June 23 among 10,000 men and women aged 20 and older, found that 82.1% (8,207 people) reported engaging in digital consumption. This is about twice the 44% recorded in the same survey in 2019.

By type, internet and mobile shopping (65.8%), TV home shopping (40.3%), and SNS platforms (20.8%) had the highest usage rates. Consumption on SNS platforms such as Instagram and KakaoTalk expanded fivefold compared to 2019 (4.1%). Additionally, for the first time this year, the usage rate of peer-to-peer (C2C) transaction platforms like Danggeun Market and Junggonara was surveyed, revealing that 17 out of 100 people (16.6%) used these platforms.

By age group, digital consumption among those in their 50s and 60s increased significantly. The digital consumption rate for people in their 50s rose from 29.5% in 2019 to 79.2% in this survey, a 2.6-fold increase, while for those aged 60 and above, it jumped more than tenfold from 5.6% to 57.6% during the same period.

Digital Consumption Status by Age Group.

As digital consumption increased, consumer complaints also rose, with overseas direct purchases (60%), internet and mobile shopping (52.5%), and SNS platforms (45.2%) ranking highest in complaint experiences. The complaint rate for peer-to-peer transaction platforms was also 43.9%. Complaints related to false or exaggerated advertising were most common on TV home shopping (42.3%) and SNS platforms (30.9%). Peer-to-peer platforms saw many complaints about difficulties in resolving issues such as exchanges, cancellations, and refunds (36.9%), while overseas direct purchases were notably affected by problems like incorrect deliveries or shipping delays (38.3%).

The overall consumer satisfaction score was 67 out of 100, down 2.9 points from 69.9 in 2019. However, the satisfaction score among digital consumers was 67.4, a smaller decline of 1.8 points from 69.2 in 2019. Satisfaction among digital consumers aged 60 and above actually improved to 67 points from 65 points in 2019.

Regarding policies needed for digital transactions, the most frequently cited was the introduction of a system that allows easy verification of transaction parties through identity information provision (73.4%). The survey was conducted through one-on-one household visits and interviews, with a 95% confidence level and a sampling error of ±0.98 percentage points. Based on this survey, the Korea Consumer Agency plans to hold seminars to reflect policy demands and provide data to related government ministries and local governments to assist in policy development.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.