The OpenAI logo is seen on a mobile phone in front of a screen displaying output from ChatGPT in Boston on March 21, 2023. (AP-Yonhap)

The popularity of OpenAI's artificial intelligence chatbot, ChatGPT, has surged in South Korea, with the number of monthly users of its mobile app surpassing 1 million for the first time last month.

User numbers rose by 30 percent in May, reaching an estimated 1,273,922, compared to 980,318 in April, according to statistics from the mobile big data company IGAWorks released Tuesday.

This follows a steady increase from 697,830 in February to 880,364 in March.

"The mobile app version is gaining traction for quick searches on the go," said an IT industry insider.

Engagement with the app also grew significantly.

Total usage time in May climbed 55.8 percent to 739,332 hours, compared to 474,668 hours in April.

New app installations also increased by 47.9 percent last month, reaching 404,570, and continued to rise in the first week of June with 113,879 new installations.

The company launched ChatGPT in November 2022, followed by the iOS app in May 2023 and the Android app in July 2023.

In mid-May, they unveiled GPT-4o, a new model allowing real-time voice conversations to enhance user experience.