AI subscriptions are moving from novelty to monthly habit in South Korea. New payment estimates cited by Hankyung Aicel show that spending on major AI services, including ChatGPT and Gemini, has now passed a familiar benchmark: Netflix subscription revenue in Korea.
AI services passed a major subscription benchmark
According to Hankyung Aicel, payments for seven AI services reached an estimated 80.3 billion won (roughly $55-60 million) in December 2025. That figure was higher than Netflix’s average monthly subscription revenue in Korea during 2024, which was 75 billion won (around $50-55 million).
The comparison is striking because Netflix is one of the clearest examples of a mainstream digital subscription. AI tools, by contrast, are newer products that users and companies are still learning how to fit into everyday work and personal routines.
There is a key limit to the comparison. The AI services total includes business payments, while Netflix is a consumer-only service. That means the two figures do not measure identical markets, even though they show how large paid AI usage has become.
Transaction growth shows a fast shift in behavior
The payment data points to a sharp increase in usage over time. Credit card payments for AI services rose from 52,000 transactions in January 2024 to 1,666 million in December 2025.
That growth matters because it suggests AI subscriptions are not just a one-time rush of curiosity. A subscription model depends on repeated payment behavior. The rise in transactions indicates that more users, and more organizations, are treating AI access as a recurring digital expense.
The source data also separates private and business spending. Private customers paid an average of 34,700 won (about $24). Businesses spent an average of 107,400 won (roughly $74).
That gap is important. It suggests that companies are paying more per account or payment event than private users, which helps explain why business payments can have a visible effect on the total market size.
ChatGPT leads, but the market is not single-product
ChatGPT accounted for 71.5 percent of all payments in the AI services measured. Gemini followed with 11.0 percent, while Claude accounted for 10.7 percent.
Those figures show a clear leader, but they also show that paid AI activity is spread across several services. Users and businesses are not only paying for one tool. They are also trying or adopting other major AI subscription products.
For publishers, software companies, and digital service providers, that matters because subscription budgets are not unlimited. If AI services become a regular monthly line item, they may increasingly compete for attention and payment alongside entertainment, productivity, and other online services.
Why the Netflix comparison needs context
Netflix provides a useful reference point because it is already a mature subscription business. But the economics differ by region and product type.
Netflix reports revenue per subscription of around $7 for Asia-Pacific, compared to roughly $17 in the US and Canada. The source notes that the US and Canada figure is significantly higher revenue per subscription per month.
That context matters when comparing AI subscriptions with streaming subscriptions in Korea. A market can have many subscribers but lower revenue per subscription, depending on pricing and regional conditions. AI services may also have a different mix of personal and business use.
The main takeaway is not that AI and Netflix are directly interchangeable. It is that paid AI services have already reached a level of monthly spending that can be compared with one of the best-known subscription categories in the country.
Generative AI becomes a recurring expense
Hankyung Aicel CEO Kim Hyung-min said Korea’s subscription market continues to grow and that generative AI is becoming a regular subscription product.
That observation fits the payment pattern described in the data. AI tools are increasingly being purchased in the same recurring way as other digital services. Users pay because they expect continued access, ongoing utility, or regular improvements.
The business component is especially important. When companies pay for AI services, the spending can reflect workflow needs rather than entertainment or personal preference. That makes AI subscriptions different from consumer media services, even when both are paid monthly.
Still, the comparison with Netflix is a useful signal. It shows how quickly generative AI has moved into the subscription economy in South Korea, and how major tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude are becoming part of regular digital spending.