'Top 1%' Singers Average Annual Income 3.8 Billion Won... 99% Earn 11 Million Won

Income Concentration Intensifies Among Singers, Athletes, and YouTubers

The income concentration among singers, athletes, and YouTubers has intensified.

According to data submitted by the National Tax Service to Rep. Lee Su-jin of the Democratic Party on the 7th, the average business income per person for the top 1% of singers in 2021, consisting of 99 individuals, was 3.8 billion KRW. In contrast, the average business income per person for the remaining 99%, or 9,761 singers, was only 11 million KRW.

The income share of the top 1% of singers accounted for 76.9% of the total. This shows a rapid increase from 60.1% in 2019 and 70.6% in 2020. It indicates that the income concentration phenomenon, where earnings are focused on a small group, is intensifying.

Income disparity has also been analyzed to be growing among athletes and YouTubers. The average annual business income per person for the top 1% of athletes, 375 individuals, was 800 million KRW, while the average income for the remaining 99%, 37,143 athletes, was only 8 million KRW.

The share of income held by the top 1% of athletes in total income decreased from 49.6% in 2019 to 48.2% in 2020 but rose again to 49.6% in 2021. The average business income per person for the top 1% of YouTubers, 342 individuals, was 366 million KRW, whereas the average business income for the remaining 33,877 (99%) was only 6 million KRW. The income share of the top 1% increased from 28.8% in 2019 to 36.4% in 2020 and 37.6% in 2021.

Rep. Lee Su-jin stated, "Income inequality must be resolved so that Hallyu stars, sports athletes, and YouTubers can operate in a healthy environment."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.