Top 3 Internet Search Sites in South Korea.

 

If you’re keen on staying updated with news and information from a specific country, knowing which search sites are most popular among its people is essential. If you’re already well-versed in searching through Korean portals and have an interest in Korean culture and content, feel free to skip this page. But if not, you might find some useful tips here. 🙂

 

 

 

“Why doesn’t Google show many Korean resources?”

It’s simple: South Korea has its own powerhouse portals that have dominated the internet landscape for a long time. Much of the information available on these large Korean sites—like blog posts—isn’t accessible through Google search. So, if you’re into Korean recipes, or love following the latest K-pop idols, this guide might just brighten your search experience.

 

 

1. NAVER – The Most Popular Korean Portal

Korea’s portal site history began with Yahoo! Korea in 1997, and NAVER entered the scene in 1999. NAVER became a national favorite in 2002 when it introduced NAVER Knowledge iN—a Q&A platform where anyone could ask questions on anything, from “how to confess my feelings,” to music recommendations, to technical IT advice. By 2003, NAVER had surpassed Yahoo! Korea and took the crown as the number one portal. Fast forward to 2024, and it’s still the primary go-to for millions of Koreans every day.

(Yahoo! Korea ultimately ceased its Korean services in 2012 and exited the market.)

 

 

2. Daum

Daum started in 1998 with free webmail, a groundbreaking service at the time, as Korea’s internet usage began skyrocketing. With almost everyone using a Hanmail address, it became a cultural staple. NAVER may have focused on search, but Daum excelled in fostering online communities, especially through its online cafes where people could connect over shared interests. Some even met offline through organized gatherings, with some friendships leading to marriages. (Yes, really!) In 2014, Daum merged with the messaging service Kakao, and they continue to operate together today.

 

 

3. Nate

Nate was all the rage in the mid-2000s thanks to its chat service, NATE ON. So popular was this messenger that office communications and casual chats with friends seemed impossible without it. But with the rise of smartphones and the advent of KakaoTalk, Nate’s dominance waned. Still, Nate is famous for PANN, a user-driven, open forum with trending topics by the day, week, or even by the hour. It allows anonymous, unregistered users to chime in on issues, making it a hotspot for discussing celebrity gossip, life advice, recipes, and more. Occasionally, it even sees explosive posts like insider stories and revelations from celebrities’ former relationships.

 

 

Preparing to Use a Korean Keyboard

To search for information in Korean, you’ll need a Korean keyboard. On smartphones, you can add a Korean keyboard in your language settings. For PC, you can set up a Korean keyboard in either Windows or Mac settings.

 

Using Translation Services

NAVER provides its own translation service called Papago. If you want to translate search results or web pages, try using Papago (https://papago.naver.com). You can also use Google Translate, but Papago often offers more natural translations for Korean text.

 

There’s also a mobile app, so be sure to download it on iOS or Android!

 

 

 

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