ChatGPT logs biggest user growth rate among smartphone apps in South Korea

SEOUL — ChatGPT, a generative artificial intelligence (AI) platform of OpenAI, recorded the biggest rate of increase in its smartphone app users among all apps available in South Korea this year, a survey showed on Wednesday.

Users of the ChatGPT app grew 196.6 percent in November compared with January, making it the app with the most significant increase, according to a sample survey of 4 million smartphone users in Korea conducted by industry tracker Wiseapp Retail, reports Yonhap news agency.

Daiso Mall, the online mall of the popular discount store Daiso, ranked second with a growth rate of 31.9 percent, followed by beauty retailer Olive Young with 30.8 percent and Monino, an asset-management service app for users of Samsung Group's financial affiliates, with 28.1 percent.

ChatGPT was also the most-used smartphone app during the same period, logging a monthly average of 16.7 million users, followed by Kakao Pay with 9.1 million and Olive Young with 8.6 million.

In October, Kakao said that ChatGPT is now available for use on the KakaoTalk online messaging app. With ChatGPT for Kakao, KakaoTalk users can access the chatbot with a single tap and share AI-generated conversations, images and text with friends in real time, according to the company.

Existing ChatGPT users can use the service within KakaoTalk with their preexisting ChatGPT account This rollout marked the first major outcome of the partnership formed between Kakao and OpenAI in February as part of the Korean internet giant's broader strategy to join a global AI alliance amid intensifying competition in the market.

Earlier, the number of ChatGPT users in South Korea surpassed 20 million for the first time in August, data showed.

The monthly active users (MAUs) of ChatGPT reached a monthly record of 20.31 million in August, sharply up from 4.07 million a year ago, according to the data compiled by industry tracker Wiseapp Retail.