Online shopping sales in Korea hit record $16.75 billion in November

SEOUL, 2nd January, 2026 (WAM) — Online shopping sales in the Republic of Korea jumped 6.8 percent from a year earlier to a record high in November, driven by strong demand for food-related services, data showed Friday.

The value of online shopping transactions stood at 24.15 trillion won (US$16.75 billion) in November, up 1.53 trillion won from a year earlier, data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics showed.

According to Yonhap News Agency, 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 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 increased 7.9 percent on-year to 18.59 trillion won, also setting a new record.