Gmarket (gmarket.co.kr)
A pioneering Korean online marketplace known for auctions, deals and wide seller selection.
Gmarket at a glance
Gmarket is an e-commerce website and one of the most visited sites in South Korea, currently ranked #4 in the country. It was founded in 2000 by Ki-tae Lee (Interpark spin-off origin) and is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. Today Gmarket is owned by Emart / Shinsegae Group (via SSG.com). Our estimates put its audience at ≈ 75 million visits per month. The business earns money mainly through marketplace seller commissions, display and search advertising, smile club membership subscriptions. Its closest rivals include Coupang, 11st, SSG.com, Naver Shopping.
Traffic statistics
Traffic history
| Period | Visits | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | ≈ 78 million / month | -2% |
| Q2 | ≈ 75 million / month | -4% |
| Q3 | ≈ 73 million / month | -3% |
| Q4 | ≈ 75 million / month | +3% |
Traffic sources
- Direct40%
- Organic search26%
- Paid search14%
- Referral10%
- Social & other10%
Audience & demographics
- Men47%
- Women53%
- Age 18-2411%
- Age 25-3424%
- Age 35-5442%
- Age 55+23%
Gmarket's audience is heavily bargain-driven, attracted by daily deals, coupons and its long-running auction-style listings dating back to the early 2000s.
Geographic reach
- South Korea95%
- United States2%
- Other3%
SEO profile
- Organic keywords
- ≈ 1.2 million
- Estimated organic traffic
- ≈ 20 million visits / month
- Strongest clusters
- Deals, fashion, electronics categories
Top organic keywords
| Keyword | Position | Volume | Traffic share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 지마켓 | 1 | Very high | — |
| gmarket global | 1 | Medium | — |
| 지마켓 로그인 | 1 | High | — |
| gmarket smile club | 1 | Medium | — |
Backlink profile
- Referring domains
- ≈ 250,000
- Link profile
- Linked from coupon and deal aggregator sites, blogs
Top referral sources
- Direct42%
- Naver Shopping20%
- Google12%
- Other26%
Technology stack
Website technologies
Advertising & analytics technologies
Gmarket's platform runs on Java-based services, increasingly integrated with sibling company SSG.com's cloud and logistics infrastructure under the Shinsegae Group.
Mobile app statistics
- App downloads (cumulative)
- ≈ 10 million+
Company information
- Website
- gmarket.co.kr
- Sector
- E-commerce
- Owner
- Emart / Shinsegae Group (via SSG.com)
- Owner type
- Subsidiary of a public company (KRX: 139480, Emart)
- Founders
- Ki-tae Lee (Interpark spin-off origin)
- Founded
- 2000
- Headquarters
- Seoul, South Korea
- Employees
- ≈ 1,500
- Ownership
- Acquired by Shinsegae/Emart Group in 2021 from eBay for roughly USD 3 billion, operated alongside SSG.com
- Valuation
- ≈ USD 3 billion (2021 acquisition price)
- Revenue
- ≈ KRW 1 trillion (≈ USD 750 million) annually
- Languages
- Korean, with a Global Shop section in English
- Top traffic sources
- Direct navigation, organic search, promotional email/app push
Ownership, investors & funding history
| Date | Round | Amount | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Founded (as Interpark spin-off) | N/A | — |
| 2009 | Acquired by eBay Inc. | ≈ USD 1.2 billion | — |
| 2021 | Acquired by Emart/Shinsegae Group | ≈ USD 3 billion | — |
Financials
- Annual revenue
- ≈ KRW 1 trillion
Business model & revenue
Gmarket operates a third-party marketplace model where independent sellers list products, monetising through commissions, seller advertising and a paid membership programme bundled with Shinsegae group benefits.
- Marketplace seller commissions
- Display and search advertising
- Smile Club membership subscriptions
- Deals and flash-sale promotional fees
Products & services
Third-party seller marketplace with auction-style deals.
Paid membership offering cashback and shipping perks.
Cross-border shopping section for international sellers.
Related deals on Amazon
As an Amazon Associate, Global Site Index earns from qualifying purchases.
Seller ecosystem
- Active sellers
- ≈ 300,000+
International presence
- Cross-border sales
- Global Shop enables overseas brands to sell into Korea
Employee statistics
Customer statistics
API & developer information
- Gmarket Seller API
- APIs for inventory, order and shipping management
Website rankings
- South Korea e-commerce
- Among the top five marketplaces
Main competitors
Website comparisons
| Website | Monthly visits | Rank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11st | Comparable marketplace scale | — | Both compete on deals and coupon-driven shopping |
Overview
Gmarket is one of South Korea's pioneering online marketplaces, known for auction-style listings, frequent deals and a broad base of third-party sellers, now part of the Shinsegae Group.
Traffic Statistics
Gmarket.co.kr draws an estimated 75 million monthly visits, with sessions averaging nearly six minutes across six pages, driven by deal-seeking and coupon-motivated shopping behaviour.
Traffic Sources
Direct navigation leads, followed by organic and paid search, reflecting strong brand recognition combined with active search-driven deal discovery.
Audience & Demographics
Gmarket's shoppers skew toward users aged 35-54 who are motivated by coupons, cashback and Smile Club membership perks.
Geographic Reach
About 95% of traffic comes from South Korea, with a small international audience using the Global Shop cross-border section.
SEO Profile
Gmarket ranks for roughly 1.2 million Korean keywords, with strength in deals, fashion and electronics category pages.
Technology Stack
Gmarket runs on Java and Spring services with React front ends, hosted on AWS and increasingly integrated with sibling company SSG.com's cloud infrastructure.
Social Media Statistics
Gmarket maintains official Instagram and Facebook accounts promoting deals and seasonal sales campaigns.
Mobile App Statistics
The Gmarket app has surpassed 10 million cumulative downloads and remains a steady presence among Korean shopping apps.
Company Information
Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Seoul, Gmarket employs approximately 1,500 people and operates under the Emart/Shinsegae Group.
Ownership & Investors
Gmarket was owned by eBay Inc. for over a decade before Emart/Shinsegae Group acquired it in 2021 for roughly USD 3 billion.
Financials
Gmarket generates approximately KRW 1 trillion in annual revenue from commissions, advertising and membership fees.
Business Model
Gmarket operates a third-party marketplace model, earning commissions from sellers, advertising fees and Smile Club membership subscriptions.
Products & Services
Core offerings include the Gmarket Marketplace, the Smile Club membership programme and the Gmarket Global Shop for cross-border sales.
Competitors
Key competitors include Coupang, 11st, SSG.com and Naver Shopping.
Company History & Milestones
From its 2000 founding through its 2009 acquisition by eBay and 2021 sale to Shinsegae Group, Gmarket has remained one of Korea's enduring online marketplaces.
Latest News
Gmarket continues integrating further with SSG.com's logistics network to improve delivery competitiveness.
User Reviews & Ratings
Bargain-focused shoppers value Gmarket's deals and coupons, though it is generally seen as trailing Coupang in delivery speed and app experience.
Pros & Cons
Pros: established marketplace, frequent deals, wide seller base, Shinsegae backing. Cons: slower delivery than Coupang, dated interface, smaller marketing budget.
Key Statistics
≈75 million monthly visits, founded in 2000, and owned by Emart/Shinsegae Group.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns Gmarket? Emart/Shinsegae Group, which acquired it from eBay in 2021. Is Gmarket the same as Auction? Both were merged under eBay Korea before the Shinsegae acquisition but operate as separate marketplace brands.
Data Sources
Emart Inc. Annual Report and Similarweb estimates.
Last Updated
September 2026
Related Websites
SSG.com, Coupang and 11st.
Website Rankings
Among the top five e-commerce marketplaces in South Korea.
Revenue & Funding History
Gmarket was founded in 2000, acquired by eBay in 2009 for approximately USD 1.2 billion, and sold to Emart/Shinsegae Group in 2021 for roughly USD 3 billion.
Employee Statistics
Gmarket employs approximately 1,500 people across marketplace operations, seller support and marketing.
Customer Statistics
Gmarket reaches around 12 million monthly active users within South Korea.
Backlink Profile
Gmarket.co.kr has around 250,000 referring domains, linked from coupon aggregators, deal blogs and news outlets.
Top Organic Keywords
Leading keywords include "지마켓", "gmarket global", "지마켓 로그인" and "gmarket smile club".
Top Referral Sources
Direct traffic leads, with Naver Shopping and Google also contributing significant referral traffic.
Website Technologies
Java, Spring, React front ends, Amazon Web Services and integration with SSG Cloud infrastructure.
Advertising & Analytics Technologies
Gmarket's own advertising platform, supplemented by partner networks including Criteo and Google Ad Manager.
API & Developer Information
The Gmarket Seller API supports inventory, order and shipping management for marketplace sellers.
International Seller Opportunities
Gmarket Global Shop allows international brands and sellers to reach Korean shoppers through a dedicated cross-border storefront.
Company history & milestones
- 2000
Gmarket founded as a spin-off related to Interpark
- 2009
Acquired by eBay Inc.
- 2011
eBay merges Gmarket and Auction into eBay Korea
- 2021
Emart/Shinsegae Group acquires eBay Korea for ≈ USD 3 billion
- 2026
Continued integration with SSG.com logistics
Latest news
- Gmarket integrates further with SSG.com logistics networkShinsegae Group · 2026
Pros & cons
Pros
- Long-established marketplace with strong seller base
- Frequent deals, coupons and flash sales
- Wide product selection across categories
- Backed by Shinsegae Group's retail infrastructure
Cons
- Slower delivery than Coupang's Rocket Delivery
- Losing market share to faster-growing competitors
- Interface seen as dated by some younger shoppers
- Smaller marketing budget than Coupang
Key statistics
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Gmarket?
Gmarket is owned by Emart/Shinsegae Group, which acquired it from eBay in 2021.
Is Gmarket the same as Auction?
Both were merged under eBay Korea before the 2021 Shinsegae acquisition; they still operate as separate marketplace brands.
Popular searches
Data sources & confidence
- Emart Inc. Annual ReportEmart
- Similarweb estimatesSimilarweb
- Data confidence
- High for ownership and acquisition history; traffic and revenue figures are third-party approximations.
- Last updated
- September 2026
Traffic figures are modelled estimates as Shinsegae Group does not break out Gmarket-specific metrics separately.
Social media profiles & statistics