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Photo courtesy of Yonhap News |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] SEOUL, October 27, 2025 — A new study by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has found that Naver’s free digital services — including search, maps, news, and e-commerce — generate an estimated ₩14.75 million (US$10,700) in annual consumer benefits per user, equivalent to ₩440 trillion (US$320 billion) across the Korean economy.
Commissioned by Naver and published in KAIST’s Digital Economy Report 2025, the study quantified the economic value of digital goods and services that users access free of charge on major online platforms. Researchers argue that this “hidden value” demonstrates how traditional GDP metrics underestimate the true contribution of the digital economy.
According to the report, Naver’s total digital services provided ₩14.76 million in consumer value per user, broken down as follows:
Search services: ₩7.04 million
Digital maps: ₩4.28 million
Email: ₩1.39 million
E-commerce: ₩970,000
Social media: ₩450,000
Video content: ₩70,000
Translation, news, webtoons, and mobile payment: ₩560,000 combined
The study was based on a survey of 6,000 users, with economic value estimates derived through consumer surplus modeling and theoretical calibration.
Aggregated nationwide, these benefits amount to ₩447 trillion, with search services alone accounting for ₩222 trillion. When combined with maps and email, the total exceeds ₩397 trillion, and surpasses ₩400 trillion when other services such as shopping, blogs, cafes, news, and Papago translation are included.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
