Google surpasses Naver in monthly average users in Korea for 1st time

Google has surpassed Naver in the number of monthly average users (MAUs) in Korea for the first time, signaling that artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping one of the few markets in the world where a homegrown portal has long maintained its lead over the U.S. tech giant. According to domestic market tracker Mobile Index, the Google app recorded 47.02 million MAUs last month, ranking first in the productivity app category. The figure was 177,837 higher than Naver’s 46.84 million. It marked the first time Google overtook Naver in MAUs since Mobile Index began tracking relevant data in March 2021. Google’s MAUs in Korea surpassed 40 million for the first time in May last year and topped 46 million in May this year. On the other hand, Naver’s monthly user count remained in the 43 million to 46 million range from January 2023 through last month. Industry officials attribute Google’s rise to the growing convergence of search and generative AI, which is diversifying the ways users seek and consume information. Both Naver and Google operate AI-powered search services that display AI-ge