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This is a huge jump compared to a year ago, when the agency reported only 3,524 wearable device users in October 2014

Image Credit: Crew / Unsplash

There are a total of 320,692 wearable device users in South Korea, as of October 2015, according to a report by Yonhap News Agency, citing data from the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning.

It is clear from the report that the agency counted smartwatches as a wearable, but we are uncertain if it had included other devices as wearables as well.

Other wearable devices could very well include VR headsets and smart glasses like Google Glass, which are commercially available.

Nonetheless, this particular industry is looking positive, especially when compared to a year back when the agency reported that there are only 3,542 wearable device users in the country.

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Earlier last month, Yonhap News Agency also reported that the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, together with the Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy, will spend KRW127 billion (about US$107 million) to grow South Korea’s wearable industry.

“If we delay the technology development while the United States, Japan and European countries are focussing their efforts, we will fall behind other developed countries, which could weaken the ground of small-and-medium firms in the tech industry,” stated the two ministries in a release, noting that wearable technology will soon be part and parcel of areas like defence.

Wearable usage elsewhere is also growing. In the US, for example, eMarketer predicts that 40 per cent of all Internet users will be wearable device users as well by 2019.

In its report dated October 2015, the firm’s data showed that there were 25.1 million wearable users in the country in 2014. Although, in this case, the word ‘wearable’ can refer to accessories or clothing that can be connected to the Internet or another device.

Also Read: India’s wearables maker GOQii gets US$13.4M led by Cheetah Mobile, NEA

South Korea’s jump in wearable user numbers can be attributed to a number of things, including consumers becoming more aware of different smart devices, mostly propelled by local tech companies like Samsung and LG with its numerous Android-powered smartwatches.

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