South Korea’s OOH Advertising Holds 9.1% Share in 2026, Demonstrating Stability in a Cautious Market

Amid a cautious approach to South Korea's Advertising Spend in 2026, OOH is holding a steady place in the media mix while showing both growth potential and clear limits.

A survey by the Korea Advertising Federation, conducted from March 6 to 20 among 70 marketing and advertising executives at major companies, found that 47.1 percent plan to keep their budgets at a similar level to last year. By contrast, 40.0 percent expect to cut spending, while only 12.9 percent plan to increase it. This suggests the South Korea's Advertising Market is focusing more on stability than expansion.

Budget size also shows a clear divide. Advertisers spending less than KRW 1 billion a year made up the largest group at 32.9 percent. At the same time, those spending more than KRW 10 billion accounted for 28.6 percent. The middle range continues to shrink, pointing to a growing gap between small and large advertisers.

By media type, online and mobile dominate with a 50.5 percent share. Within this digital focused structure, OOH holds a 9.1 percent share. While not growing fast, it is not declining either, showing it remains a steady and useful channel.

Looking ahead, OOH also shows solid positioning. It ranks third among channels expected to see higher spending, chosen by 17.1 percent of respondents. This is behind online mobile at 71.4 percent and IPTV and OTT at 20.0 percent, but still higher than print and terrestrial TV. This indicates that many advertisers still see growth potential in OOH.

At the same time, 24.3 percent expect spending on OOH to decrease. However, this is much lower than print at 40.0 percent and terrestrial and general programming channels at 62.9 percent. This shows that downward pressure on OOH is relatively limited compared to other traditional media.

In terms of growth outlook, online mobile leads with 62.9 percent, followed by IPTV and OTT at 15.7 percent and OOH at 12.9 percent. For decline, print ranks highest at 47.1 percent, followed by terrestrial and general programming channels at 28.6 percent and radio and audio at 18.6 percent. OOH stands at just 4.3 percent, showing a relatively low risk of decline. IPTV and OTT are lowest at 1.4 percent. These figures show that even as digital grows fast, OOH is keeping a stable position.

However, when looking at advertising formats, the decline of traditional media is more clear. TV and audio ads are seen as the most likely to fall. OOH is also mentioned by some advertisers as a channel that could face cuts. The main reasons include lower attention, limits in cost efficiency, and difficulty in measuring results.

Despite these concerns, global trends suggest a different trajectory. OOH is increasingly being repositioned as a core amplifier within integrated campaigns, working alongside mobile, social media, and IPTV to enhance overall effectiveness. Industry research indicates that OOH can act as a connector across channels, strengthening campaign impact and improving return on investment .

South Korea’s advertising market in 2026 is being reshaped around efficiency and data centric decision making. Within this transition, OOH stands as a transitional medium, balancing stability with clear structural challenges while continuing to play a strategic role in the broader media mix.