South Korea sees surge in YouTubers earning over $90,000 annually
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The number of high-earning creators has increased sharply, with a 63.8 per cent rise from 2021 to 2023.
PHOTO: THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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SEOUL – The number of South Korean YouTubers earning over 100 million won (S$91,100) annually has surpassed 4,000, showing the rapid expansion of the nation’s digital creator sector.
A total of 4,011 YouTubers in South Korea made more than 100 million won in 2023, comprising 2,088 men and 1,923 women, according to data from the National Tax Service released by Representative Cha Kyu-geun of the Rebuilding Korea Party on Oct 15.
The number of high-earning creators has increased sharply, rising from 2,449 in 2021 to 3,359 in 2022 and 4,011 in 2023 – a 63.8 per cent increase in just two years.
Those in their 30s comprised the largest share of high-earning creators, totalling 1,961, followed by 772 under 30 and 171 in their 40s.
Representative Cha stressed the need for stricter taxation as the number of high-earning YouTubers rises.
“Both the number of income reporters and their total earnings are increasing every year. The National Tax Service must thoroughly crack down on digital creators who fail to report their income to evade taxes,” the lawmaker said.
In 2023, a total of 24,673 YouTubers reported their earnings, up 52 per cent from 16,228 in 2021. Over the same period, their combined reported income jumped 64.9 per cent, from 1.078 trillion won to 1.778 trillion won, data showed.
Meanwhile, regional tax offices audited 67 YouTubers between 2019 and 2024, levying a combined 23.6 billion won in taxes, with an average of about 350 million won per person. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
