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Consumer Electronics in South Korea
August 2022
Consumer electronics in 2022: The big picture
Due to further social distancing measures in place until the first half of 2022 as a result of rising virus cases (which were not lifted until 2 May), demand for consumer electronics in South Korea continues to be influenced by the pandemic. While retail volume sales of computers and peripherals, in particular laptops, are set to decline following a surge in demand when employees created home offices at the beginning of the pandemic and students moved to online classes, overall demand remains higher than 2019 levels.
2022 key trends
Premiumisation within South Korean consumer electronics is increasing, with local consumers more attracted to premium headphones which they perceive as offering higher sound quality, or showing further interest in smart TVs with larger screens. This trend is continuing to support the stronger current value growth of the industry compared to retail volume growth.
Competitive landscape
Major local manufacturer Samsung Electronics and US player Apple Inc are set to retain their lead of consumer electronics in 2022, followed by Korean company LG Electronics which has lost notable share since its exit from smartphones in 2021. Samsung enjoys a strong presence in computers and peripherals, and launched a new laptop series at MWC 2022, under the Galaxy Book 2 Pro series in April 2022.
Retailing developments
Retail offline, driven by appliances and electronics specialists, continues to dominate distribution of consumer electronics in South Korea. Many local consumers like to initially visit a physical store to inspect products prior to purchase, and obtain advice from in-store sales assistants, especially for big-ticket items.
What next for consumer electronics?
Restrictions in South Korea started to be eased in May 2022, with greater mobility likely to emerge in the country over the year depending on the emergence of any new variants. While consumer electronics overall is expected to post a positive performance over the forecast period, retail volume growth rates will be slower in comparison to the review period as a whole due to the surge in demand in 2020/2021 as South Koreans were forced to quickly adapt to home seclusion and remote working.
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Overview:
Understand the latest market trends and future growth opportunities for the Consumer Electronics industry in South Korea with research from Euromonitor International's team of in-country analysts – experts by industry and geographic specialisation.
Key trends are clearly and succinctly summarised alongside the most current research data available. Understand and assess competitive threats and plan corporate strategy with our qualitative analysis, insight and confident growth projections.
Data and analysis in this report provides further detailed coverage dedicated to the following key categories, where applicable:
Computers and Peripherals
In-Car Entertainment
Home Audio and Cinema
Home Video
Imaging Devices
Mobile Phones
Portable Players
Wearable Electronics
If you're in the Consumer Electronics industry in South Korea, our research will help you to make informed, intelligent decisions; to recognise and profit from opportunity, or to offer resilience amidst market uncertainty.
The Consumer Electronics in South Korea report includes:
Analysis of key supply-side and demand trends
Detailed segmentation of international and local products
Historic volume and value sizes, company and brand market shares
Five year forecasts of market trends and market growth
Robust and transparent research methodology, conducted in-country
This report answers:
What is the market size of Consumer Electronics in South Korea?
Which are the leading brands in South Korea?
How are products distributed in South Korea?
How is the rise of e-commerce changing the retail landscape?
How has COVID-19 and accordant macroeconomic and retail disruption impacted consumer demand?
How are considerations such as urban development and the rise in single-person households driving sales growth?
Where is technology taking the market? Which products are pioneering growth? Which face obsolescence?
Where is future growth expected to be most dynamic?
Consumer Electronics in South Korea
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Consumer electronics in 2022: The big picture
2022 key trends
Competitive landscape
Retailing developments
What next for consumer electronics?
MARKET DATA
Table 1 Sales of Consumer Electronics by Category: Volume 2017-2022Table 2 Sales of Consumer Electronics by Category: Value 2017-2022Table 3 Sales of Consumer Electronics by Category: % Volume Growth 2017-2022Table 4 Sales of Consumer Electronics by Category: % Value Growth 2017-2022Table 5 NBO Company Shares of Consumer Electronics: % Volume 2018-2022Table 6 LBN Brand Shares of Consumer Electronics: % Volume 2019-2022Table 7 Distribution of Consumer Electronics by Channel: % Volume 2017-2022Table 8 Forecast Sales of Consumer Electronics by Category: Volume 2022-2027Table 9 Forecast Sales of Consumer Electronics by Category: Value 2022-2027Table 10 Forecast Sales of Consumer Electronics by Category: % Volume Growth 2022-2027Table 11 Forecast Sales of Consumer Electronics by Category: % Value Growth 2022-2027
DISCLAIMER
SOURCES
Summary 1 Research Sources
Computers and Peripherals in South Korea
KEY DATA FINDINGS
2022 DEVELOPMENTS
Premium laptops continue to win favour with new releases
Competition in mid-range tablets intensifies
Gaming boom offers further growth potential in monitors
PROSPECTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Increasing competition between laptops and tablets over the forecast period
Declining monitors still offers potential niche growth area
Decrease in demand for at-home printers as employees return to the office
CATEGORY DATA
Table 12 Sales of Computers and Peripherals by Category: Volume 2017-2022Table 13 Sales of Computers and Peripherals by Category: Value 2017-2022Table 14 Sales of Computers and Peripherals by Category: % Volume Growth 2017-2022Table 15 Sales of Computers and Peripherals by Category: % Value Growth 2017-2022Table 16 Sales of Computers by Category: Business Volume 2017-2022Table 17 Sales of Computers by Category: Business Value MSP 2017-2022Table 18 Sales of Computers by Category: Business Volume Growth 2017-2022Table 19 Sales of Computers by Category: Business Value MSP Growth 2017-2022Table 20 NBO Company Shares of Computers and Peripherals: % Volume 2018-2022Table 21 LBN Brand Shares of Computers and Peripherals: % Volume 2019-2022Table 22 Distribution of Computers and Peripherals by Channel: % Volume 2017-2022Table 23 Forecast Sales of Computers and Peripherals by Category: Volume 2022-2027Table 24 Forecast Sales of Computers and Peripherals by Category: Value 2022-2027Table 25 Forecast Sales of Computers and Peripherals by Category: % Volume Growth 2022-2027Table 26 Forecast Sales of Computers and Peripherals by Category: % Value Growth 2022-2027Table 27 Forecast Sales of Computers by Category: Business Volume 2022-2027Table 28 Forecast Sales of Computers by Category: Business Value MSP 2022-2027Table 29 Forecast Sales of Computers by Category: Business Volume Growth 2022-2027Table 30 Forecast Sales of Computers by Category: Business Value MSP Growth 2022-2027
In-Car Entertainment in South Korea
KEY DATA FINDINGS
2022 DEVELOPMENTS
Further declines encourage manufacturers to move away from in-car navigation
Premium in-car speakers
Other non-grocery specialists gradually regains lost share as restrictions relax
PROSPECTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Further declines likely in line with built-in technology and substitution by smartphones
Growing market for premium in-car speakers
Introduction of 5G and built-in technology to further compound after-sales demand woes
CATEGORY DATA
Table 31 Sales of In-Car Entertainment by Category: Volume 2017-2022Table 32 Sales of In-Car Entertainment by Category: Value 2017-2022Table 33 Sales of In-Car Entertainment by Category: % Volume Growth 2017-2022Table 34 Sales of In-Car Entertainment by Category: % Value Growth 2017-2022Table 35 NBO Company Shares of In-Car Entertainment: % Volume 2018-2022Table 36 LBN Brand Shares of In-Car Entertainment: % Volume 2019-2022Table 37 Distribution of In-Car Entertainment by Channel: % Volume 2017-2022Table 38 Forecast Sales of In-Car Entertainment by Category: Volume 2022-2027Table 39 Forecast Sales of In-Car Entertainment by Category: Value 2022-2027Table 40 Forecast Sales of In-Car Entertainment by Category: % Volume Growth 2022-2027Table 41 Forecast Sales of In-Car Entertainment by Category: % Value Growth 2022-2027
Home Audio and Cinema in South Korea
KEY DATA FINDINGS
2022 DEVELOPMENTS
Home theatre trend in line with pandemic-enforced seclusion
Domestic players set to gain further share in 2022
Specialists remain dominant as consumers appreciate in-store expertise
PROSPECTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Further growth predicted for home cinema and speaker systems
Popularity of short-form content likely to pull younger consumers away from traditional home entertainment hubs
Younger consumers attracted to retro appeal of analogue music
CATEGORY DATA
Table 42 Sales of Home Audio and Cinema by Category: Volume 2017-2022Table 43 Sales of Home Audio and Cinema by Category: Value 2017-2022Table 44 Sales of Home Audio and Cinema by Category: % Volume Growth 2017-2022Table 45 Sales of Home Audio and Cinema by Category: % Value Growth 2017-2022Table 46 NBO Company Shares of Home Audio and Cinema: % Volume 2018-2022Table 47 LBN Brand Shares of Home Audio and Cinema: % Volume 2019-2022Table 48 Distribution of Home Audio and Cinema by Channel: % Volume 2018-2022Table 49 Forecast Sales of Home Audio and Cinema by Category: Volume 2022-2027Table 50 Forecast Sales of Home Audio and Cinema by Category: Value 2022-2027Table 51 Forecast Sales of Home Audio and Cinema by Category: % Volume Growth 2022-2027Table 52 Forecast Sales of Home Audio and Cinema by Category: % Value Growth 2022-2027
Home Video in South Korea
KEY DATA FINDINGS
2022 DEVELOPMENTS
Larger televisions continue to gain in popularity but gamers drive demand for smaller models
OLED TVs continue to gain share from dominant LCD TVs
Growing demand for private label televisions
PROSPECTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Further switch from LCD TVs to OLED format in South Korea as prices fall
Increasing polarisation in terms of television screen size
Premium quality increasingly offered by smaller televisions
CATEGORY DATA
Table 53 Sales of Home Video by Category: Volume 2017-2022Table 54 Sales of Home Video by Category: Value 2017-2022Table 55 Sales of Home Video by Category: % Volume Growth 2017-2022Table 56 Sales of Home Video by Category: % Value Growth 2017-2022Table 57 Sales of LCD TVs by Network Connectivity: % Retail Volume 2017-2022Table 58 NBO Company Shares of Home Video: % Volume 2018-2022Table 59 LBN Brand Shares of Home Video: % Volume 2019-2022Table 60 Distribution of Home Video by Channel: % Volume 2017-2022Table 61 Forecast Sales of Home Video by Category: Volume 2022-2027Table 62 Forecast Sales of Home Video by Category: Value 2022-2027Table 63 Forecast Sales of Home Video by Category: % Volume Growth 2022-2027Table 64 Forecast Sales of Home Video by Category: % Value Growth 2022-2027Table 65 Forecast Sales of LCD TVs by Network Connectivity: % Retail Volume 2022-2027
Headphones in South Korea
KEY DATA FINDINGS
2022 DEVELOPMENTS
Demand for headphones continues to rise in South Korea, driven by TWS earbuds
Protecting ear health when wearing TWS earbuds
Headphones led by smartphone manufacturers
PROSPECTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Improving technology likely to drive sales of TWS earbuds
Preference for premium headphones
Rising interest in OTT and audio book content anticipated to support growth
CATEGORY DATA
Table 66 Sales of Headphones by Category: Volume 2017-2022Table 67 Sales of Headphones by Category: Value 2017-2022Table 68 Sales of Headphones by Category: % Volume Growth 2017-2022Table 69 Sales of Headphones by Category: % Value Growth 2017-2022Table 70 NBO Company Shares of Headphones: % Volume 2018-2022Table 71 LBN Brand Shares of Headphones: % Volume 2019-2022Table 72 Distribution of Headphones by Channel: % Volume 2017-2022Table 73 Forecast Sales of Headphones by Category: Volume 2022-2027Table 74 Forecast Sales of Headphones by Category: Value 2022-2027Table 75 Forecast Sales of Headphones by Category: % Volume Growth 2022-2027Table 76 Forecast Sales of Headphones by Category: % Value Growth 2022-2027
Imaging Devices in South Korea
KEY DATA FINDINGS
2022 DEVELOPMENTS
Digital camera producers target niche sales as they continue to face challenges
Mirrorless digital cameras continue to gain share in declining category
Digital camcorder usage both inside and outside of the home
PROSPECTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Continuous decline for digital cameras expected
Some potential for digital camcorders
CATEGORY DATA
Table 77 Sales of Imaging Devices by Category: Volume 2017-2022Table 78 Sales of Imaging Devices by Category: Value 2017-2022Table 79 Sales of Imaging Devices by Category: % Volume Growth 2017-2022Table 80 Sales of Imaging Devices by Category: % Value Growth 2017-2022Table 81 NBO Company Shares of Imaging Devices: % Volume 2018-2022Table 82 LBN Brand Shares of Imaging Devices: % Volume 2019-2022Table 83 Distribution of Imaging Devices by Channel: % Volume 2017-2022Table 84 Forecast Sales of Imaging Devices by Category: Volume 2022-2027Table 85 Forecast Sales of Imaging Devices by Category: Value 2022-2027Table 86 Forecast Sales of Imaging Devices by Category: % Volume Growth 2022-2027Table 87 Forecast Sales of Imaging Devices by Category: % Value Growth 2022-2027
Mobile Phones in South Korea
KEY DATA FINDINGS
2022 DEVELOPMENTS
Popularity of unlocking smartphones
Samsung retains dominance of smartphones
Expanding 5G smartphones
PROSPECTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Increasing popularity of foldable phones
Further competition within mid- to low-priced smartphones
New players enter smartphones
CATEGORY DATA
Table 88 Sales of Mobile Phones by Category: Volume 2017-2022Table 89 Sales of Mobile Phones by Category: Value 2017-2022Table 90 Sales of Mobile Phones by Category: % Volume Growth 2017-2022Table 91 Sales of Mobile Phones by Category: % Value Growth 2017-2022Table 92 Sales of Smartphones by Screen Size: % Retail Volume 2019-2022Table 93 NBO Company Shares of Mobile Phones: % Volume 2018-2022Table 94 LBN Brand Shares of Mobile Phones: % Volume 2019-2022Table 95 Distribution of Mobile Phones by Channel: % Volume 2017-2022Table 96 Forecast Sales of Mobile Phones by Category: Volume 2022-2027Table 97 Forecast Sales of Mobile Phones by Category: Value 2022-2027Table 98 Forecast Sales of Mobile Phones by Category: % Volume Growth 2022-2027Table 99 Forecast Sales of Mobile Phones by Category: % Value Growth 2022-2027Table 100 Forecast Sales of Smartphones by Screen Size: % Retail Volume 2022-2027
Portable Players in South Korea
KEY DATA FINDINGS
2022 DEVELOPMENTS
Wireless speakers increasingly driven by outdoor activities
Main audience of e-readers comprised of younger consumers
KT Corp strengthens leadership due to presence in wireless speakers
PROSPECTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Wireless speakers will continue to drive category sales
Audiobooks an alternative to e-readers
Retro marketing for portable multimedia players
CATEGORY DATA
Table 101 Sales of Portable Players by Category: Volume 2017-2022Table 102 Sales of Portable Players by Category: Value 2017-2022Table 103 Sales of Portable Players by Category: % Volume Growth 2017-2022Table 104 Sales of Portable Players by Category: % Value Growth 2017-2022Table 105 NBO Company Shares of Portable Players: % Volume 2018-2022Table 106 LBN Brand Shares of Portable Players: % Volume 2019-2022Table 107 Distribution of Portable Players by Channel: % Volume 2017-2022Table 108 Forecast Sales of Portable Players by Category: Volume 2022-2027Table 109 Forecast Sales of Portable Players by Category: Value 2022-2027Table 110 Forecast Sales of Portable Players by Category: % Volume Growth 2022-2027Table 111 Forecast Sales of Portable Players by Category: % Value Growth 2022-2027
Wearable Electronics in South Korea
KEY DATA FINDINGS
2022 DEVELOPMENTS
Smartwatches that enhance healthcare by tracking data
Home exercise trend continues
Increasing competition within wearable electronics
PROSPECTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Diverse content and services to further drive development and demand for wearable electronics
Increasing health-consciousness to drive sales of smart wearables
Strong penetration of e-commerce within wearable electronics
CATEGORY DATA
Table 112 Sales of Wearable Electronics by Category: Volume 2017-2022Table 113 Sales of Wearable Electronics by Category: Value 2017-2022Table 114 Sales of Wearable Electronics by Category: % Volume Growth 2017-2022Table 115 Sales of Wearable Electronics by Category: % Value Growth 2017-2022Table 116 NBO Company Shares of Wearable Electronics: % Volume 2018-2022Table 117 LBN Brand Shares of Wearable Electronics: % Volume 2019-2022Table 118 Distribution of Wearable Electronics by Channel: % Volume 2017-2022Table 119 Forecast Sales of Wearable Electronics by Category: Volume 2022-2027Table 120 Forecast Sales of Wearable Electronics by Category: Value 2022-2027Table 121 Forecast Sales of Wearable Electronics by Category: % Volume Growth 2022-2027Table 122 Forecast Sales of Wearable Electronics by Category: % Value Growth 2022-2027
The following categories and subcategories are included:
Consumer Electronics
Desktops
Laptops
Tablets
Monitors
Printers
In-Car Navigation
In-Car Speakers
In-Dash Media Players
Audio Separates
Digital Media Player Docks
Hi-Fi Systems
Home Cinema and Speaker Systems
Speakers
Other Home Audio and Cinema
Analogue TVs
LCD TVs
OLED TVs
Plasma TVs
Other TVs
TV Combis
BD Players
DVD Players
Video Recorders
Mass Wireless Headbands
Premium Wireless Headbands
Mass Wireless Earphones
Premium Wireless Earphones
Mass TWS Earbuds
Premium TWS Earbuds
Digital Cameras
Digital Camcorders
Feature Phones
Smartphones
E-Readers
Portable Multimedia Players
Other Portable Media Players
Wireless Speakers
Activity Bands
Activity Watch (Analogue)
Activity Watch (Digital)
Smart Wearables
Consumer Electronics
Consumer Electronics refers to the sales of Computers and Peripherals, In-Home Consumer Electronics, In-Car Entertainment and Portable Consumer Electronics to the end consumer.