December 04, 2024

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Bluesky logo (Bluesky)

Bluesky, the decentralized social media platform making waves globally, has reached a milestone this month — 20 million users worldwide. And South Korea is riding this wave, too.

According to Mobile Index, the rising platform’s Korean monthly active users reached 595,588 in October, marking a staggering 1,147.69 percent increase from September.

Though these numbers are still modest compared to X’s 6 million and Threads' 4 million Korean monthly active users, the momentum is undeniable.

In the week ending Nov. 17, Bluesky saw 471,307 active users in South Korea, sustaining its October peak of nearly half a million users, according to Mobile Index.

Originally conceptualized by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey as an experimental project in 2019, Bluesky spun off in 2021 and officially launched in February 2023.

What sets it apart from its competitors is its decentralized structure, offering users more control and limiting the influence of algorithms — an attractive feature in today’s algorithm-driven social media landscape.

As users seek alternatives to platforms like X owned by Elon Musk, Bluesky has gained significant traction. The X exodus has been especially noticeable among the anti-Donald Trump crowd, who are leaving the platform owned by Musk, one of Trump’s most visible supporters.

This shift only intensified following Musk’s controversial post on Aug. 24 — “Civil war is inevitable” — accompanied by a video of violent riots in Liverpool. Many users worldwide, disillusioned by the post, decided it was time for a change.

Globally, Bluesky’s user base surged by seven million in November alone, jumping from 13 million at the end of October to 20 million.

By Song Seung-hyun (ssh@heraldcorp.com)