SEOUL — The dream of "making it big" as a full-time content creator continues to draw thousands of Koreans into the digital gold rush. However, new tax data reveals a stark economic reality: while the average income for influencers has climbed significantly, the gap between the digital elite and the rest of the pack is widening at an unprecedented rate.
According to data titled "2020–2024 Revenue Status of One-Person Media Creators" submitted by the National Tax Service to Representative Park Seong-hoon of the People Power Party, the landscape of independent media has undergone a massive transformation over the last four years.
The Surge of the Solo Creator
In 2024, the number of individuals who filed comprehensive income taxes as "one-person media creators" reached 34,806. This is a staggering increase compared to 2020, when only 9,449 people registered under this business category.
As the industry matured, so did the earnings. The total revenue reported by these creators in 2024 reached ₩2.47 trillion ($1.85 billion). The breakdown of the figures shows:
Average Annual Income: ₩71 million (approx. $53,000)
Growth Rate: A 25.6% increase from the ₩56.5 million average recorded in 2020.
A Winner-Take-All Market
While the "average" income of ₩71 million suggests a comfortable middle-class lifestyle, the data reveals a heavy "long-tail" distribution. The wealth is concentrated heavily at the top of the pyramid.
The top 1% of earners—comprising just 348 individuals—reported a combined income of ₩450.1 billion. On average, each person in this elite bracket earned ₩1.29 billion ($970,000). This represents a nearly 70% jump from the ₩708 million average they earned in 2020, suggesting that the most successful creators are capitalizing on global audiences and diversified revenue streams (such as brand deals and private labels) more effectively than ever before.
In contrast, the bottom 50% (17,404 creators) earned an average of just ₩24.6 million ($18,500) per year, a figure that falls below the national average wage for full-time employees in many other sectors.
Demographics of the Digital Economy
The report also shed light on who is dominating the screen.
The Powerhouse: Creators in their 30s are the primary drivers of the industry. With 15,668 individuals, they account for nearly half of the total industry revenue (₩1.24 trillion).
The High Earners: Interestingly, creators in their 40s boasted the highest per-capita income, averaging ₩86.75 million. Experts suggest this may be due to 40-somethings focusing on high-value niche content, such as finance, real estate, or professional education.
The Youth: Creators aged 29 and under (12,096 people) earned an average of ₩54.35 million.
Calls for Transparency and Regulation
The meteoric rise in digital wealth has prompted calls for stricter oversight. Representative Park Seong-hoon emphasized that the government must ensure tax equity in the burgeoning creator economy.
"We must maintain a system of constant management and thorough verification to prevent the concealment of revenue generated from platforms like YouTube or instances of tax evasion," Park stated.
Beyond financial transparency, the lawmaker also raised concerns regarding the social impact of the content itself. "There is a pressing need for proactive blocking and strengthened management of harmful or overly provocative content that is often created solely to drive views and revenue," he added.
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