South Korea is witnessing a surge of mobile shoppers on the strength of the solid broadband network and consumers’ preference for faster and easier shopping experiences on the go.

The ratio of consumers who use their smartphones to shop online rose to nearly 60 percent this year, sharply up from 24 percent in 2012.

The increase in mobile shopping is largely attributed to the growing number of smartphone users in the country. The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning said the number of Korean households who own at least one smartphone stood at 84.1 percent this year, up about 20 percent from 65 percent in 2012.

While the majority of shoppers ― 81 percent ― still used their desktop computers as their main device for browsing and purchasing products on the Internet, the ratio is down 8 percentage points this year from 89 percent two years ago.

Of some 25,000 households nationwide, 98.5 percent have access to the Internet.