The Google app had 47.02 million monthly active users (MAUs) in July, slightly ahead of Naver's 46.85 million, according to Mobile Index data released Tuesday by South Korean data analytics firm IGAWorks.
The gap was about 178,000 users, marking the first time Google overtook its local rival since Mobile Index began compiling comparable statistics in March 2021.
Google has steadily expanded its reach in the country. Its monthly user base surpassed 40 million for the first time in May last year and 46 million this May. By June, the gap with Naver had narrowed to about 246,000 users, before Google overtook its local rival in July.
Naver, by contrast, has seen relatively little change. Its monthly user count has remained between roughly 43 million and 46 million since January 2023.
Google's Chrome browser also ranked third, with 42.46 million monthly users in July.
The shift comes as the U.S. tech giant rolls out its Gemini AI model and expands AI-powered search features, while generative AI becomes an increasingly common way to find information online.
The same trend is even more pronounced with ChatGPT, OpenAI's generative AI chatbot. It had 16.46 million monthly users in July, more than 2.6 times the 6.31 million users of Daum, the country's second-largest homegrown internet portal.
That represents a sharp reversal from March last year, when ChatGPT had about 5 million monthly users, trailing Daum's 7.6 million. The chatbot overtook Daum the following month after crossing the 10 million mark and has continued to widen the gap since.
ChatGPT, despite its rapid growth, remains far behind both Google and Naver in overall monthly mobile users.
AJP Takeaways
• Google overtook Naver in monthly mobile users in South Korea for the first time in July 2026, with 47.02 million monthly active users, compared with 46.85 million for Naver, according to IGAWorks' Mobile Index.
• Google's lead over Naver was about 178,000 users in July 2026, marking the first time it ranked ahead of South Korea's largest homegrown internet portal since Mobile Index began compiling comparable data in March 2021.
• ChatGPT had 16.46 million monthly users in South Korea in July 2026, more than 2.6 times the 6.31 million users of Daum, South Korea's second-largest homegrown internet portal.
• Google's Gemini and AI-powered search features, along with the rapid adoption of OpenAI's ChatGPT, point to a shift in how South Koreans find information online, although one month of data is not enough to establish a lasting change in the country's search market.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.