This article was published on May 14, 2014

Google Chromecast is now available in Korea, its first country in Asia


Google Chromecast is now available in Korea, its first country in Asia

Google introduced the Chromecast into Europe in March, and now the streaming dongle — which lets users ‘cast’ content from a smartphone, tablet or laptop to any HDMI-equipped TV — is landing in its first country in Asia: Korea.

Beyond letting customers stream content across the Web, iOS, Android, Mac and Windows devices, Google has inked deals with domestic streaming services Tving and Hoppin which will give Chromecast owners in Korea access to “tens of thousands” of movies, videos and TV shows.

The recent international expansion took Chromecast out of the US and saw it land in 11 new countries, so Asia-based users outside of Korea may be disappointed that this launch is limited to a single country. Google goes some way to explaining that by revealing that Korea is among the “most savvy consumers of content over the Internet in the world” with mobile a key driver.

In fact, the company says that 80 percent of YouTube content consumed in Korea is done so on a mobile device. That’s double the global average of 40 percent and an indicator as to why the company is prioritizing the Korea market.

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The Chromecast is on sale now in Korea from Google’s dedicated website, where it is priced at 49,900 won, that’s around $49.

➤ Chromecast

Image via AFP / Getty Images

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