80% of older adults struggle with digital devices, gov't survey finds

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80% of older adults struggle with digital devices, gov't survey finds

Published: 21 Aug. 2025, 07:00

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Senior citizens learn to use digital kiosks at a restaurant during a training session by the National Institute for Lifelong Education. [NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR LIFELONG EDUCATION]

Kim Yeong-hyeon, a 64-year-old Seoul resident, recently broke into a sweat at a sandwich shop when they confronted a newly installed kiosk that demanded a customer select every detail of the sandwich, from the bread to the ham, vegetables and sauces from dozens of options.

“With the line growing behind me, I started sweating,” Kim said. “In the end, I couldn’t choose the ingredients I wanted and just ordered the recommended menu.”

A government survey found that one in four adults in Korea struggles with digital devices in daily life. Among people in their 60s or older, that figure rose to 80 percent.

The Ministry of Education released the results of its first-ever national survey of adult digital literacy on Tuesday. The survey, which has been designated as an official national statistic, was conducted last September with 10,000 people aged 18 or older nationwide. It tested common digital skills such as finding directions with a navigation app, transferring money via a banking app, ordering food at a kiosk and using an online wedding invitation.

According to the results, 8.2 percent of respondents fell into “Level 1,” meaning they lack understanding and experience with digital tools and have trouble with basic operations. Another 17.7 percent were placed in “Level 2,” defined as having some understanding but insufficient ability to use digital tools in daily life.

A citizen uses a digital kiosk at a theater in Seoul on March 27. [NEWS1]

That means 25.9 percent, or one in four, of adults face difficulties operating digital devices to some degree. On the other hand, 52.8 percent were at “Level 4,” the highest, indicating strong digital skills to solve everyday problems.

Age, education and income matter

Older adults were far more likely to struggle. At Level 1, the rate for those 60 or older was 23.3 percent, higher than any other group. Only 8.9 percent of people aged 18 to 39 said they experienced difficulties with digital devices, compared to 34.8 percent for those in their 40s to 50s and 77.7 percent for those 60 and older.

The gap was also stark by education and income. Among those with a middle school education or less, 34.6 percent were at Level 1, as were 25.9 percent of those in households earning less than 3 million won ($2,160) per month. By gender, women, at 10 percent, were more likely than men, at 6.3 percent, to fall into Level 1.

The Education Ministry said it will expand support for lifelong education in artificial intelligence and digital literacy for adults. In particular, it plans to scale up its traveling program “Hangul Sunshine Bus,” which provides digital literacy classes for low-income households and seniors 65 and older, while also expanding hands-on training at banks and retail outlets.

"Public institutions such as local libraries should be more actively used to develop and distribute literacy programs," said Lee Chan-kyu, a professor of Korean language and literature at Chung-Ang University. "The private sector, including banks, should also step up essential app training as well."

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY LEE BO-RAM [[email protected]]