South Korea Anime Market

South Korea Anime Market Overview:

The South Korea anime market size reached USD 638.40 Million in 2024. The market is projected to reach USD 1,188.28 Million by 2033, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 6.41% during 2025-2033. Private schools and extracurricular programs are providing anime-style drawing courses, appealing to teens aspiring to build careers in animation and the gaming sector. With a rising youth population and more social media users, anime trends are spreading quickly, driving the demand. This strong cultural and creative connection is fueling the South Korea anime market share.

South Korea Anime Market Trends:

Growing educational interest

Rising educational interest is fueling the market growth in South Korea. Many students are inspired by anime and want to learn how it is made. They are enrolling in art schools, animation courses, and design programs to study drawing, character development, and digital storytelling. These educational paths help them understand the techniques used in Japanese anime and apply them to their own creative work. Private academies and after-school programs also offer anime-style illustration classes, attracting teenagers who dream of working in the animation and gaming industry. As per the IMARC Group, the South Korea gaming market size reached USD 4,595.0 Million in 2024. This interest is fueling a new generation of skilled creators who produce fan art, short animations, and webtoons influenced by anime. Schools and universities often support student projects and animation festivals, giving young artists a platform to show their talent. Educational resources like online tutorials and workshops are making anime creation more accessible. With more young people entering creative fields, the demand for anime content and education continues to rise across South Korea.

Increasing popularity of Japanese pop culture

Rising popularity of Japanese pop culture is propelling the South Korea anime market growth. Over the years, Korean audiences, especially teenagers and young adults, have developed a strong interest in Japanese content, such as anime, manga, J-pop, and fashion. Characters, stories, and themes in anime often connect with Korean viewers emotionally and artistically. Many fans follow multiple series, collect merchandise, and engage deeply with the content. Japanese pop culture is also influencing Korean artists, designers, and content creators, leading to increased collaboration and local anime-inspired productions. The popularity of Japanese anime is introducing Korean viewers to new genres, art styles, and storytelling methods. As Japanese anime remains fresh and diverse, Korean fans are continuously seeking out new titles. This growing interest is driving the demand for more licensed anime, events, and related products in South Korea. Anime-themed cafes, exhibitions, and fan meetups are also becoming common, deepening the cultural connection. Moreover, as more people are utilizing social media, fans are sharing anime content widely, helping new shows trend faster. As per industry reports, in 2024, 93.4% of the total population in South Korea utilized social media, totaling 48.34 Million. Overall, the strong appeal of Japanese pop culture is making anime a key entertainment choice.

South Korea Anime Market Segmentation:

IMARC Group provides an analysis of the key trends in each segment of the market, along with forecasts at the country and regional levels for 2025-2033. Our report has categorized the market based on revenue source.

Revenue Source Insights:

• T.V.
• Movie
• Video
• Internet Distribution
• Merchandising
• Music
• Pachinko
• Live Entertainment

The report has provided a detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the revenue source. This includes T.V., movie, video, internet distribution, merchandising, music, pachinko, and live entertainment.

Regional Insights:

• Seoul Capital Area
• Yeongnam (Southeastern Region)
• Honam (Southwestern Region)
• Hoseo (Central Region)
• Others

The report has also provided a comprehensive analysis of all the major regional markets, which include Seoul Capital Area, Yeongnam (Southeastern Region), Honam (Southwestern Region), Hoseo (Central Region), and others.

Competitive Landscape:

The market research report has also provided a comprehensive analysis of the competitive landscape. Competitive analysis such as market structure, key player positioning, top winning strategies, competitive dashboard, and company evaluation quadrant has been covered in the report. Also, detailed profiles of all major companies have been provided.

South Korea Anime Market News:

• In May 2025, CreateAI Holdings revealed its entry into the Korean market and important enhancements to its innovative AI anime video creation platform, Animon.ai. Along with providing the model in the Korean language, this update brought robust new features aimed at refining the accessibility and efficiency of anime creation for creators.
• In January 2025, Animecoin was set to make its debut in South Korea through Upbit, following its listing on Binance. The South Korean cryptocurrency exchange would offer trading options for ANIME paired with the Korean Won, Bitcoin, and Tether. The initiative promised to provide a range of unique and external anime materials, such as games, products, and NFTs.

South Korea Anime Market Report Coverage:

Key Questions Answered in This Report:

• How has the South Korea anime market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?
• What is the breakup of the South Korea anime market on the basis of revenue source?
• What is the breakup of the South Korea anime market on the basis of region?
• What are the various stages in the value chain of the South Korea anime market? 
• What are the key driving factors and challenges in the South Korea anime market?
• What is the structure of the South Korea anime market and who are the key players?
• What is the degree of competition in the South Korea anime market? 

Key Benefits for Stakeholders:

• IMARC’s industry report offers a comprehensive quantitative analysis of various market segments, historical and current market trends, market forecasts, and dynamics of the South Korea anime market from 2019-2033.
• The research report provides the latest information on the market drivers, challenges, and opportunities in the South Korea anime market.
• Porter's five forces analysis assist stakeholders in assessing the impact of new entrants, competitive rivalry, supplier power, buyer power, and the threat of substitution. It helps stakeholders to analyze the level of competition within the South Korea anime industry and its attractiveness.
• Competitive landscape allows stakeholders to understand their competitive environment and provides an insight into the current positions of key players in the market.