Naver Real-Time Search Keywords to Be Discontinued on the 25th
"Inconvenience and Communication Blocked," "Measure Ahead of By-Election" Complaints
Experts Say "Negative Effects Outweigh Positive, Raising Doubts About Its Continuation"
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-eun] The portal site 'Naver' will discontinue its 'Real-time Rising Search Terms' service at the end of this month. Amid controversies over public opinion manipulation and advertising, some have pointed out that the discontinuation of the real-time search terms service will cause inconvenience, while others criticize it as a move possibly aimed at the upcoming April by-election.
On the 4th, Naver stated on its official blog, "Users' internet service usage patterns have changed significantly compared to before," adding, "They consume content selectively according to their tastes and preferences rather than passively consuming content provided unilaterally, and they also consider producing content themselves very important."
Furthermore, Naver announced, "The Real-time Rising Search Terms service will end on February 25 to align with the major trend change where users want to actively consume information they need amid abundant information." The 'Search Chart' section on the mobile Naver home page will also be discontinued on the same day, marking the end of the service after 16 years. The blog post on Naver's site received over 1,200 comments.
Naver's real-time search service first launched in May 2005 under the name 'Real-time Search Ranking.' It analyzed search terms entered into the search box over a certain period and displayed those with the highest increase rate in input frequency in order, serving as a way to show netizens' interests at a glance in real time.
However, the real-time search term service has faced ongoing credibility issues. Especially during election periods, suspicions of manipulation centered around political circles have been raised, with repeated criticisms that the service was being used politically.
In addition, in 2019, during the appointment process of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, both supporters and opponents clashed over the rankings of Naver's rising search terms, leading to criticism that the service had strayed from its original purpose of reflecting user interest flows. Moreover, advertising phrases from companies frequently appeared in the real-time search rankings, drawing criticism that it was no different from an advertising board.
Real-time search terms revamped to allow settings according to desired interests. Photo by Naver Real-time Search Capture
In response, Naver introduced a service from 2018 that allowed users to set age and interest categories for search terms, aiming to provide search terms tailored to individual interests, but controversies persisted. Earlier, Kakao had already discontinued the real-time issue search term service on its portal site 'Daum' in February last year amid similar controversies.
As the discontinuation of Naver's real-time search terms approaches, netizens' opinions are divided.
Some express inconvenience over the disappearance of real-time search terms, which were useful for understanding disaster situations or important information, and feel frustrated that opportunities to encounter others' opinions will vanish, viewing the discontinuation negatively as a blockage of public opinion communication channels. There are also claims that this is a preemptive measure considering political controversies ahead of the April by-election.
One netizen commented on Naver's official blog, "Active information searching is important, but real-time rising search terms not only become topics of conversation but also serve as a medium for forming social consensus," adding, "It is regrettable as it seems to reduce opportunities to communicate with other age groups. It feels like knowing only one side and not the other."
Meanwhile, some view the discontinuation of real-time search terms positively. One netizen stated on an online community, "The issue of search term manipulation always surfaced during election seasons, so if it cannot function properly from the start, it is right for it to disappear."
Experts interpret this as a sign that the negative aspects of the service outweigh its positive functions, raising doubts about its continuation.
Jung Deok-hyun, a popular culture critic, explained, "We cannot absorb all the information flooding in. Therefore, real-time search terms have served the function of highlighting what the most important issues are so that people can easily focus on them."
He added, "While there are positive aspects, questions arise about whether it functions properly in practice. Some search terms seem unworthy of appearing, and many are used commercially, so the balance seems to lean toward discontinuation," and continued, "Public opinion manipulation is possible, and especially manipulation by political circles can be a serious problem, so from the portal's perspective, it inevitably feels burdensome. It appears that they want to fundamentally abolish the service for these reasons."
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