According to the statement, the online shopping sales in the Republic of Korea surged 6.8 percent in November compared to the previous year, reaching a new record.
The growth was largely fueled by strong consumer demand for food-related services, marking a significant shift in spending patterns.
The value of online shopping transactions stood at $16.75 billion (24.15 trillion won) in November, up $1 billion (1.53 trillion won) from the same period a year earlier, according to data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics.
According to the reports, this marks the highest figure since 2017, when the ministry began compiling the data.
Sales of food services, as well as food and beverages, climbed 13.7 percent on-year in November, largely due to the impact of promotions by food delivery platforms.
Spending on travel and transportation services also rose 8.5 percent year-on-year, supported by a recovery in domestic and overseas travel demand and promotional events in the second half of the year.
In contrast, online sales of home appliances and electronics fell 4.9 percent, largely due to a decrease in promotional events offered by online shopping malls compared with a year earlier.
Purchases made through smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices rose 7.9 percent year-on-year, reaching a record high of $12 billion (18.59 trillion won) in November. This marked another significant milestone in the growing dominance of mobile shopping in South Korea.
According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Resources, South Korea’s retail sales recorded single-digit growth last month due to the recovery in consumer demand.
The combined revenue among major offline and online retailers gained 4.2 percent in November from a year earlier, lower than the growth of 6.7 percent in the previous month.
