South Korean watch time on YouTube jumped 50 percent on year in April as the Google-run video platform has become all-time favorite mobile app channel among Koreans from teens to over 50s amid feverish employment and popularity of single broadcasting.

According to local app analysis company WiseApp on Tuesday, 33,000 Android phone users consumed total 647 million hours on YouTube app in April, up 50 percent from a year ago. The average watch time on YouTube by a user rose 35 percent to 19 hours and 48 minutes, the largest among all apps.

All age group devoted the most time on YouTube. Teens enjoyed the app for the longest time of 31.5 hours on average per head, 20s 27.5 hours, 50s or older 17.5 hours, 30s 16.5 hours, and 40s 13 hours.

Kakao Talk was the second most preferred app, with the total usage time up 19 percent to 375 million hours in April. The total usage time of Naver increased 21 percent to 210 million hours, and Facebook 5 percent to 70 million hours.

The surge in YouTube usage comes in line with burgeoning interest in video blogging on YouTube across Korea. Content creator YouTuber has emerged as a dream job for teenagers in the country, attracting not only teens but also those in older age groups to open their own broadcasting channels to share their own know-hows about everything ranging from beauty, toy, and cooking to legal and health issues.

By Oh Dae-seok and Lee Ha-yeon

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]