Image representation
Seoul, South Korea: Government data released Monday showed that South Korea's online shopping sales surged 6.2 percent year-on-year, reaching a new monthly record high in December, driven by strong Tesla sales and increased demand for food services.
Korea’s Ministry of Data and Statistics reported that the value of online shopping transactions reached 24.29 trillion won ($16.68 billion) in December, an increase of 1.42 trillion won from the same month last year. This figure represents the highest value of online shopping sales since 2017, when the Ministry began compiling data.
Spending on cars and related accessories surged 66.4 percent year-on-year in December, driven by strong sales of Tesla vehicles purchased through online ordering systems.
Food service sales rose 9.1 percent during the same period, while food and beverage sales jumped 10.2 percent year-on-year, according to data.
Purchases made via smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices increased 6.2 percent year-on-year, reaching a record high of 18.8 trillion won.
Data showed that mobile shopping accounted for 77.4 percent of total online sales in December 2025, the same percentage as the previous year.
