Some 90 percent of middle schoolchildren use smartphones, an even bigger proportion than in high school, according to the Korea Information Society Development Institute on Tuesday.
Some 89.5 percent of high school students use smartphones, slightly down from last year, perhaps under pressure from some parents who want their children to concentrate on their studies.
Overall 81.6 percent of Koreans use smartphones, exceeding the 80 percent mark for the first time.
Even in elementary school, 68.2 percent of children use smartphones, up nine percentage points from last year.
The survey was conducted among 9,788 people across the country.