S. Korean teens prefer to swap social media IDs than phone numbers

For years, South Korean teenagers have preferred to exchange social media accounts rather than phone numbers when meeting someone new.

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SEOUL - Now, fresh data has confirmed just how widespread this shift has become.

A recent survey by Woori Bank, involving 3,729 South Korean teens aged 14 to 18, revealed that 70.3 percent of respondents shared social media handles as their preferred way to stay in touch. In contrast, 57.5 percent exchanged phone numbers and only 15.8 percent shared KakaoTalk IDs.

Instagram was overwhelmingly the top platform, with 97.5 percent of teens naming it their go-to for first-time connections. This put it far ahead of X, which was used by just 9 percent of respondents. While KakaoTalk, an ubiquitous messaging app in South Korea, played a central role in daily communication, it was far less popular for initial interactions.