The use of generative artificial intelligence is growing rapidly in South Korea, led by ChatGPT.
The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) announced the findings as part of its "2025 Internet Usage Survey" released on the 31st.
The survey covered 22,671 households nationwide and 50,750 household members aged 3 and older. MSIT added new questions this year on the purpose and satisfaction of generative AI use, services used, and paid subscription status. The additions reflect the trend of generative AI spreading beyond simple experimentation into work and daily life.
The results show that generative AI services are quickly becoming part of everyday life in Korea. The share of respondents who have used generative AI services rose 11.2 percentage points to 44.5% this year from 33.3% last year.
By occupation, office workers had the highest generative AI experience rate at 71.9%. However, the paid subscription rate was highest among professionals and managers at 20.6%. This indicates that while casual use is most common among office workers, professionals are more likely to pay for and apply the tools in their work.
ChatGPT was the most widely used generative AI service. Among those who have used generative AI, 41.8% used ChatGPT, followed by Gemini at 9.8%, Copilot at 2.2%, and Clova X at 2.0%. The overall paid subscription rate was 7.9% of all respondents, with ChatGPT accounting for the largest share at 7.3%.
Experience rates for AI services more broadly — including generative AI — also showed a clear upward trend. The share of respondents who said they had used AI services in areas such as residential convenience, transportation, and education rose to 67.0% this year from 32.4% in 2021. Residential convenience services such as household robots and IoT appliances were the most commonly experienced category at 35.9%, followed by transportation (25.6%), communication and socializing (20.9%), and education and learning (19.1%).
A total of 55.5% of respondents said they do not use generative AI. Among them, 49.5% cited a "lack of interest or need." By age group, this response was most common among those aged 12 to 19 and those in their 20s. Respondents in their 60s and 70s and older were more likely to say they "don't know how to use it." The data suggests that despite the rapid spread of generative AI, gaps in perceived necessity and digital literacy persist.
Public perception of AI was largely positive, however. Some 66.8% of respondents said AI services provided by the government or companies have a positive impact on society overall. Meanwhile, 57.0% said AI services are fair and free from discrimination, and 54.7% said they trust the information and results provided by AI.
MSIT said the survey results confirm that generative AI is making substantial inroads into people's daily lives and workplaces. "The rapid spread of generative AI confirms that AI has moved beyond being a simple technological tool to become a core driver of real innovation in people's daily lives and workplaces," said Hong Seong-wan, Director General for ICT Policy at MSIT. "We will continue to pursue policies that enhance public AI capabilities and create a trustworthy AI usage environment."