South Korea is witnessing a surge of mobile shoppers on the strength of the solid broadband network and consumers ’ preference for faster and easier shopping experiences on the go . The ratio of consumers who use their smartphones to shop online rose to nearly 60 percent this year , sharply up from 24 percent in 2012 . The increase in mobile shopping is largely attributed to the growing number of smartphone users in the country . The Ministry of Science , ICT and Future Planning said the number of Korean households who own at least one smartphone stood at 84 . 1 percent this year , up about 20 percent from 65 percent in 2012 . While the majority of shoppers ― 81 percent ― still used their desktop computers as their main device for browsing and purchasing products on the Internet , the ratio is down 8 percentage points this year from 89 percent two years ago . Of some 25 , 000 households nationwide , 98 . 5 percent have access to the Internet . 미래 엘리트 를 위한 영어 신문 주니어 헤럴드 	 더 많 은 기사 보 러 가 기 → [ 코리아 헤럴드 홈페이지 ] [ 트위터 ] [ 페이스북 ] 	 구독 신청 1588 - 0533 	 <ⓒ KoreaHerald ( www . koreaherald . com ) 무단 전재 및 재 배포 금지 >