<p>The rapid digitalisation of society, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has raised significant concerns about digital exclusion among older adults. This study examines the multidimensional changes in digital exclusion among older adults in Korea from 2019 to 2022, focusing on motivation, physical access, digital skills and usage. The study used nationally representative data from the Digital Divide Survey (DDS), using a difference-in-differences (DID) analytical approach. This method allowed for a comparison of changes in digital access dimensions between older and younger adult population throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings indicate that older adults experienced increased motivation and improved physical access to digital technologies. However, their digital skills remained much lower than those of younger adults, and this skills gap persisted, limiting older adults’ comprehensive engagement with digital services in the earlier stage of the pandemic. The use of digital services among older adults gradually increased. Digital exclusion among older adults is a dynamic and complex process, requiring long-term and multidimensional intervention strategies. Policy implications emphasise the need for targeted digital literacy programmes, affordable access to digital devices, and sustained support mechanisms to promote digital inclusion for older adults in the digital era.</p>