South Korea's Online Sales Surge to All-Time High

(MENAFN) South Korea’s e-commerce sector reached an all-time monthly peak in February, propelled by surging consumer activity tied to the Lunar New Year holidays, according to government figures released Wednesday.

Total online purchases climbed 5.9 percent year-on-year to 22.60 trillion won — equivalent to 14.95 billion U.S. dollars — last month, the Ministry of Data and Statistics confirmed. The result marks the strongest February performance since the government began tracking such data in 2017.

Officials pointed to robust food-related demand as the primary engine behind the record, with holiday shopping traditions driving notable spikes across several categories. Online transactions in food and beverages, along with agricultural, livestock, and fishery products, posted double-digit growth, while food delivery platforms and leisure and transport services registered more modest single-digit gains.

One of the sharpest surges came from the automotive sector, where online car and accessories sales rocketed 48.8 percent — fuelled largely by a wave of purchases of Tesla vehicles from the American manufacturer.

Culture and leisure services online nearly doubled in transaction volume, while the e-coupon segment expanded 22.7 percent as more consumers opted to send gifts such as coffee and cake through digital vouchers — reflecting a broader cultural shift in gifting habits.

Not all categories shared in the momentum. Online spending on daily essentials, computers, sportswear, clothing, and furniture all edged lower in single-digit declines.

Mobile commerce continued its dominance, with purchases made via smartphones, tablets, and other handheld devices rising 6.7 percent to 17.39 trillion won — roughly 11.50 billion dollars — accounting for 76.9 percent of all online shopping activity during the month.

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