The figure and the ranking
South Korea rises to twelfth place worldwide for generative AI adoption, with a rate of 40.6% in the second quarter, up 3.5 percentage points from the previous quarter. The leap is worth four positions in the ranking. The Korea Herald reports this, citing the survey by Microsoft's AI Economy Institute.
The metric does not measure generic use of technology, but the share of the working-age population, between 15 and 64, that uses generative AI products. On an annual basis the increase is 15 percentage points, a figure that signals rapid and not one-off adoption. In the same period South Korea records the largest growth among major economies for the third consecutive quarter, an element that distinguishes the Korean case from a simple cyclical rebound.
The international comparison
At the top of the ranking are the United Arab Emirates with 73.3%, followed by Singapore with 64.3%, then Ireland and France. The global adoption rate rose marginally, from 17.8% to 18.8% in the quarter: South Korea, with its 40.6%, therefore stands at more than double the world average.
The survey also separates contexts: the rate reaches 28.8% in the so-called advanced “Global North,” versus 16.2% in the emerging “Global South.” The gap concerns not only quantity but also modes of use: in Southern countries the use is more oriented toward learning and skills development, while in the North use for purchases, information searches and feedback prevails. These are aggregate use categories, not individual behaviors verifiable in detail.
What remains to be established
The data outline an accelerating spread, but the available material does not clarify which products are counted, how actual use is measured, or which sectors or population groups drive Korean growth. The survey sample is also not indicated. These elements are necessary to assess the robustness of the international comparison and the durability of the growth lead in future surveys.
