South Korean minors see surge in high-value stock and financial income

Data from the Korea Securities Depository and the National Tax Service reveals a significant concentration of wealth among South Korean minors. The number of minors holding over 100 million won in listed stocks nearly doubled in one year, rising from 2,800 to 5,400 individuals. While the total number of minor shareholders saw a slight decrease, the total valuation of their holdings surged from 4.65 trillion won to 7.31 trillion won.

Parallel findings show that 1,606 minors reported financial income exceeding 20 million won for comprehensive income tax purposes in 2024. This group earned an average of 104 million won per person, with the majority of earnings derived from dividends and interest. Notably, five 1-year-olds reported an average of 39.4 million won each.

Legislators have raised concerns regarding these trends, suggesting they reflect the intergenerational transfer of wealth. Lawmakers Park Seong-hun and Moon Jin-seok emphasized the need for stricter oversight by the National Tax Service to prevent improper gift tax evasion and to monitor assets held under the names of minors.