Income for one-person media creators, including YouTubers, has surged more than 25 percent over the past four years, with average annual earnings exceeding 70 million won ($52,000), while stark income polarization sees the top 1 percent raking in nearly 1.3 billion won each, according to data revealed Monday.
Rep. Park Sung-hoon of the main opposition People Power Party disclosed that 34,806 YouTubers reported general income tax in 2024, generating a combined 2.47 trillion won—or about 71 million won per person on average. These figures encompass income from taxpayers registered as one-person media content creators or media content producers.
The number of YouTubers filing tax returns has skyrocketed from 9,449 in 2020 to over 30,000 in 2024, with average income climbing 25.6 percent from 56.51 million won. This growth accelerated following a surge in political broadcasts after the declaration of martial law in December 2024, heightening competition and sparking demands for stricter tax oversight.
Income disparities are pronounced: the top 1 percent—348 creators—earned a collective 450.1 billion won, averaging 1.29 billion won each, a roughly 70 percent increase from 2020 levels. The top 10 percent reported total earnings of 1.15 trillion won, or 333 million won per person.
At the other end of the spectrum, the bottom 50 percent garnered 428.6 billion won combined, averaging just 24.63 million won each. Demographically, creators in their 30s accounted for about half of the total income, while those in their 40s boasted the highest average at 86.75 million won.
The data underscores the booming yet uneven landscape for South Korea's YouTube creators, as reflected in the YouTube logo displayed on a mobile phone and laptop screen on Jan. 23, captured by EPA-Yonhap.
