[Korea.net News, Economy / Industry, March 11 2008] Korea's e-learning market tops 1.7 tril. won

Korea’s e-learning market grew 6.8 percent on-year last year to 1.72 trillion won, fueled by sharp growth in user numbers, the government said Tuesday (March 11).

The Ministry of Knowledge Economy said a poll conducted among 1,000 people last year showed 40 percent of respondents saying they used e-learning systems, with average expenditure totaling 29,000 won per month. The total spent nationwide by private citizens reached 735.1 billion won.

E-learning is gaining popularity because people can use their Internet and other telecommunication equipment to study materials that are provided 24 hours a day. Most materials are designed to be interactive, providing instant feedback.

Among the users, 67.0 percent of those in the 6-19 age bracket said they used e-learning tools, indicating large-scale use among young people. This was followed by 50.7 percent for people in their 20s, a gain of 18.9 percent from 2006.