Mobile messenger Kakao Talk is the most frequently used Android app in South Korea, Nielsen said on Monday.

The survey by Nielsen, an insights and analytics provider, showed that 92.8 percent of Android-based smartphone users here used Kakao Talk, developed by a Korean firm, at least once in the Aug-Sept. period.

Coming behind were Google Android Market (88.6 percent), Google Map (53.3 percent) and Naver (52.6 percent).

U.S. users data revealed a different pattern as Android Market topped the list with 89 percent, followed by Gmail (79 percent), Google Map (74 percent) and Google Search (73 percent).

The noticeable usage pattern among Korean smartphone users is the preference for apps rather than Web-based activities served through built-in browsers. The proportion of apps in total activities reached 89.6 percent, outpacing that of Internet surfing (10.3 percent).

Android phone users in Korea also favored both Facebook and Cyworld with similar preferences and usage rates.

The latest finding is based on a survey of 1,044 users here, who have opted to install Nielsen’s real-time metering software called On Device Meter.

(insight@heraldcorp.com)