Credit: Public domain.
In South Korea, the birthplace of e-sports, video games are the most popular pastime, according to a survey conducted by Gallup Korea from March 22 to April 5. When asked to name their hobby, 9% of respondents named video games. Also popular were going to the gym (7%), hiking (7%), watching videos (6%), going for a stroll (4.8%) and listening to music (4.4%).
Video games displaced hiking for the top spot in 2004, and have remained the most popular pastime ever since. In the most recent survey, video games were the overwhelming favorite for men in every age bracket from ages 13 to 49. Men in their 50s, meanwhile, preferred fishing, while men in their 60s and beyond picked hiking as their favorite hobby. Younger women (ages 13 to 29) named listening to music as their top hobby, while older women picked exercise and walks. Reading has declined in popularity and been supplanted by music and videos over the past two decades, falling from 8.3% in 2004 to 4.2% in 2024.