The discontent with app market fees and operating methods has resurfaced.
According to the ‘2024 App Market Survey’ results released by the Korea Communications Commission and the Korea Internet & Security Agency on the 11th, 70.4% of domestic app developers cited in-app payment fees as the biggest issue.
The responding developers also pointed out other major issues like the ambiguity of revenue settlement (11.6%) and the limitation in the choice of payment methods (8.9%).
Unfair experiences were also confirmed in the app review process. 36.8% of Apple App Store users and 26.2% of Google Play users experienced review delays. Registration refusals stood at 20% for Apple and 13% for Google. App deletions were recorded at 8.2% for Google and 3.2% for Apple.
The most common app registration review period for Google was within 2 days, at 25.6%, while for Apple, 42.5% reported it took 6-7 days. Developers responded that the review criteria were unclear and that feedback was delayed.
The total scale of app market transactions in 2023 was 8,195.2 billion won, a decrease of 6.4% from the previous year. The number of registered apps was 5,318,182, and there were 1,636,655 developers.
The usage rates of domestic app markets were 67.2% for Google Play and 29.7% for Apple App Store. Developer revenue proportions were 67.5% for Google and 28.2% for Apple.
In a consumer survey, the average monthly paid content purchase was 2.82 times, with a total expenditure of approximately 23,073 won. Regular payments were at 1.43 times, 13,317 won, and one-time payments were at 1.39 times, 9,756 won.
28.3% had experienced refund requests, with half receiving refunds within a week.
The preference for in-app payments was 74.5%, with convenience being the reason. 25.5% preferred website payments, citing cheaper prices.
The Korea Communications Commission has announced that it will create a fair app market ecosystem based on the survey results. Jeon Ji-hyun, a market survey officer, stated, “We will actively improve user inconveniences.”
