Why SK Square’s One Store app is becoming a quiet payments workhorse
18.06.2026 - 21:40:09 | ad-hoc-news.de
Reviewed: ad hoc news Software & Services desk. Edited and checked on 2026-06-18, 21:36. Details in the imprint.
With the One Store app from SK Square, Android users in South Korea open a storefront that feels familiar at first glance, yet slightly more local, slightly more tuned to their daily life. You notice it in the curated Korean games, the local payment options, the steady flow of regional promotions.
Background on the SK Square Co Ltd stock
One Store sits at the heart of SK Square’s digital platform strategy, and its performance feeds directly into how investors judge the group’s growth ambitions.
What One Store actually is
One Store is a South Korean Android app marketplace that bundles mobile games, apps, e-books and other digital content with its own billing and promotion platform, positioned as an alternative to Google Play in the domestic market.
The service was originally created as a joint venture by SK Telecom, KT, LG Uplus and Naver and later reorganized, with SK Square now holding a significant stake after its spin-off from SK Telecom in 2021.
Fees, billing and why developers care
The core practical difference users do not see immediately is the lower commission structure One Store offers to developers compared with the standard 30 percent cut historically taken by global app stores.
According to One Store’s own description, the platform supports a mix of carrier billing, credit cards and local payment methods, so a teenager topping up a mobile game can charge purchases straight to their phone bill without adding a separate card.
Experience on a Korean Android phone
On a typical SK Telecom smartphone, One Store arrives preinstalled, sitting next to Google Play on the home screen, with a home tab that leans heavily into Korean mobile games, webtoons and local productivity apps.
The interface feels tidy and familiar if you know Android - category tabs at the top, large tiles for promoted games, ranking lists for top-grossing titles, and a prominent space for time-limited discounts that often undercut prices in rival stores.
Local focus versus global giants
One Store heavily emphasizes Korean content, from locally developed role-playing games to region-specific subscriptions, which gives it a clear niche in a mobile market where domestic tastes and payment habits matter.
For global developers, the platform becomes interesting when they want deeper access to South Korean spenders, who are among the world’s highest per-capita mobile game spenders, but prefer localized events, language support and payment flows.
Growth ambition and competition pressure
In recent years, One Store has presented itself to regulators and partners as a way to increase competition in app distribution and to counterbalance the dominance of Google’s store on Android devices in Korea.
That positioning taps into a broader policy trend encouraging more choice in in-app payments and distribution, which could translate into steady, if unspectacular, user growth as long as carriers keep preinstall deals in place.
Where One Store falls short
From a user perspective, the main compromise remains evident - the breadth of international apps and services does not reach Google Play levels, so power users still frequently switch stores for niche tools.
Some developers also weigh the extra integration effort against the incremental revenue, particularly if they already maintain Korean-language versions and localized payments on larger global platforms.
How it fits into SK Square’s story
For SK Square, One Store is a strategic digital platform asset rather than a simple app shop, complementing its portfolio of ICT and semiconductor investments highlighted in its investor materials.
Shares of SK Square Co Ltd (KR7402340004) trade on the Korea Exchange (KRX) in Seoul; the group positions One Store as part of its long-term growth portfolio rather than a short-term profit engine.
Key facts on One Store
- Product: One Store app marketplace
- Manufacturer: SK Square Co Ltd
- Category: Software and digital service
- Launch: Originally launched in South Korea in 2016, later reorganized under the One Store brand
- RRP / Price: App download free, revenue via commissions and in-app purchases
- Availability: Primarily available on Android smartphones in South Korea, often preinstalled on carrier devices
- Target group: South Korean Android users and app developers seeking a local alternative to global app stores
- Highlight / USP: Localized content and payment options with lower commissions for developers
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