So much of South Korea’s total financial wealth is now held by the richest 1%.

So much of South Korea’s total financial wealth is now held by the richest 1%.

💰 Wealth piles up at the top: The number of Koreans with more than 1 billion won (≈ USD 670k) in financial assets has tripled over the past 15 years to 476,000 people. Together, they hold over 3,000 trillion won (≈ USD 2 trillion).

🏠 From bricks to balance sheets: Real estate remains the single largest asset class but is losing share. Business income is becoming a more important source of wealth, while financial assets and value stores like gold and art are gaining appeal.

Watch: South Korea is pouring billions into future industries and trying to build new tech champions. But financial wealth remains extremely concentrated. If AI and chip-driven growth continues to accrue mainly to a small group of owners, political pressure for broader participation in wealth creation will intensify.