South Koreans’ search behavior in 2025 reflected a mix of political awareness, cultural curiosity, and technological interest, according to Google Korea. On December 4, the company released its annual “Top Searches” report, highlighting the terms that saw the largest year-over-year growth.
The report shows that Koreans actively sought information on political, economic, and social issues throughout the year. In the “How-To” category, searches for government support programs surged, with the “Civil Relief Recovery Coupon application process” ranking first.
Political interest was also prominent. The 2025 presidential election emerged as the top trending news-related search, signaling heightened public engagement in the country’s political landscape.
Korean pop culture maintained a strong presence in search trends. In the film category, K-Pop: Demon Hunters topped the list, followed by Bong Joon-ho’s Mickey 17 and Park Chan-wook’s It Can’t Be Helped, which also ranked among the most-searched titles. Music searches reflected the year’s K-Pop hits, including “Golden,” “Soda Pop,” and “To You,” highlighting the domestic and global popularity of Korean pop music.
Artificial intelligence and emerging technologies also captured users’ attention. ChatGPT was the most-searched AI-related term, followed by Google’s Gemini, Meta’s Zeta, and other AI models such as Perplexity, all of which appeared within the top 10 AI-related searches.
Kim Nan-do, a professor at Seoul National University, commented, “The search data clearly reflects a year marked by social and economic anxiety and conflict. At the same time, people actively seek entertainment and novelty, showing a rapid cycle of content consumption. Expressions like ‘toasted out’ have even emerged to describe the heightened fatigue experienced by users this year.”
Google Korea’s 2025 Top Searches reveal not only what Koreans are curious about but also how trends in politics, culture, and technology are shaping public attention in an increasingly digital society.
