SEOUL         -           The amount of time people spent on mobile applications on their digital devices increased last month in South Korea, data showed Thursday, amid the spread of the novel coronavirus.

South Koreans spent an average daily time of 3.9 hours using their mobile apps in February, up 7 percent from a year ago, according to global mobile data analytics firm App Annie.

South Korea was the No. 2 country in the world in terms of the average time people spent on mobile apps. China topped the list with 5 hours, while Japan was No. 3 with 3.5 hours.

As more countries urge people to limit outdoor activities and promote remote working to stem the novel coronavirus outbreak, usage of mobile apps is increasing, App Annie said.

In particular, usage of gaming apps spiked last month, according to the data.

The number of gaming app downloads in the last week of February surged 35 percent on-year to 15 million in South Korea, according to App Annie. It was also a 25 percent increase from a month earlier.

App Annie data also showed usage of social media, streaming, delivery and financial apps increased last month, while that of mobility apps decreased.