Google Korea released its annual 'Year in Search' report on the 4th, analyzing search trends among domestic users throughout 2025. By measuring the increase in search volume compared to the previous year, this report provides a multidimensional look at the changing interests of Korean society, highlighting key issues and trends that garnered significant attention this year. The data shows that interest among Korean users in 2025 was diverse, spanning political and social issues, daily life information, content and cultural trends, and artificial intelligence (AI) technology, with a clear focus on searching for practical information needed in daily life.

In the gaming sector, the number one fastest-growing search term was 'Apple Game'. This is the local name used by Korean users for the Japanese game 'Fruits Box'. Originally released as a flash game in 2007, it enjoyed steady popularity before seeing a resurgence in early 2025, driven by streamers on domestic platforms like Chzzk and SOOP.

The game involves using apple blocks marked with numbers 1 through 9; players drag them into a box so that the sum of the numbers equals 10, causing the blocks to disappear and awarding points. Players have two minutes to earn the highest score possible. Since the arrangement of numbers is randomized, both skill and luck play a significant role. As high numbers often make it difficult to reach a sum of 10, some players choose to reset the game until they receive a favorable layout.

The second most searched game was 'Mabinogi Mobile'. As the winner of the Grand Prize at the 2025 Korea Game Awards, the game enjoyed immense popularity following its launch in March. Initially, it faced criticism for its tedious early-game tutorial, auto-play features, and a monetization structure focused on cosmetic costume gacha. However, as players delved deeper into the game and reached the core gameplay loop, it underwent a re-evaluation. Ultimately, the game succeeded by proving that its business model contained almost no pay-to-win (P2W) elements affecting combat, and because it lacked the infinite player-versus-player competition or PK found in 'Lineage-like' games, the initial criticisms lost their footing.

Rounding out the top trending gaming searches were Aion 2, Chaos Zero Nightmare, Path of Exile 2, Duet Night Abyss, Stellar Sora, Escape from Duckov, Arc Raiders, and Seven Knights Re:BIRTH, in that order.