A recent report from the National Tax Service, shared by lawmaker Park Seong-hoon from the People Power Party, indicates that the average annual income of YouTubers in South Korea has surpassed 70 million won (approximately $54,000). As of 2024, there are 34,806 registered individuals involved in one-person media content creation, collectively reporting a total income of about 2.4714 trillion won (about $1.86 billion) through comprehensive income tax. This reflects a significant increase in average income, rising approximately 25.6% from 56.51 million won in 2020.

The data also reveals stark contrasts among YouTubers' earnings based on their ranking. The top 1% of YouTubers earn an astonishing average of about 1.2939 billion won (around $978,000), while the top 10% earn around 333.02 million won (approximately $250,000). In contrast, the bottom 50% of earners receive an average income of only 24.63 million won (about $18,600). This disparity highlights the unequal distribution of income in the YouTube ecosystem, where a small percentage commands a vastly disproportionate share of the wealth generated by the platform.

Such income gaps raise questions about the sustainability and fairness of earnings within the digital creator economy, challenging policymakers to consider regulations or support systems that could help level the playing field for emerging creators. As the influence of content creators continues to grow, monitoring trends in income distribution will be crucial for understanding the landscape of digital media in South Korea.