SEOUL, December 10 (AJP) - New installations of Telegram messaging app in South Korea increased fourfold to 40,576 on Dec 3, accounting for 47.09 percent of all messenger app downloads that day, according to mobile analytics firm IGAWorks.
The surge continued with 33,033 new installations the following day.
The messaging platform, which typically ranked third or fourth in monthly downloads behind LINE and KakaoTalk, suddenly rose to first place in the messenger category and reached third place in overall app store rankings during this period.
The spike in downloads coincided with temporary access issues experienced by major Korean web portals Naver and Daum, as users reported installing Telegram as a backup communication method. The app's popularity has been attributed to its security features and overseas server locations.
The trend marks a significant shift from previous months when LINE messenger dominated new installations in South Korea, with Telegram typically placing third behind KakaoTalk.
The app maintained over 10,000 daily new installations through Thursday to Friday, continuing its lead in the messenger category.
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