# South Korean household income and wealth trends > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/south-korean-household-income-and-wealth-trends > Updated: 2026-09-12T23:40:12.000Z. Sources: 7. Developments: 2. In the second quarter of 2026, South Korean household income saw a 4.5% year-on-year increase, reaching an average of 5.295 million won per month. This growth was primarily driven by a 27.6% surge in public transfer income, including government relief funds. While this helped reduce income inequality, real income growth was limited to 1.5% after inflation, and real labor income experienced its largest decline in six years at 2.1%. Subsequent data highlighted significant trends in wealth and asset-based earnings. Property income rose by 21.3%, and reports indicated a growing number of minors receiving substantial financial income. Over 1,600 minors reported annual financial income exceeding 20 million won, largely driven by dividend earnings. This trend has prompted calls for increased oversight by the National Tax Service regarding wealth transfers from parents to children. New data from the Korea Securities Depository and the National Tax Service reveals a deepening concentration of wealth among minors. The number of minors holding more than 100 million won in listed stocks nearly doubled in one year, increasing from 2,800 to 5,400 individuals. Although the total number of minor shareholders decreased slightly, the total valuation of their holdings rose from 4.65 trillion won to 7.31 trillion won. In 2024, 1,606 minors reported financial income exceeding 20 million won for comprehensive income tax purposes, averaging 104 million won per person. This group primarily earned through dividends and interest, with five 1-year-olds reporting an average of 39.4 million won each. Legislators Park Seong-hun and Moon Jin-seok have called for stricter oversight to prevent improper gift tax evasion and to monitor assets held in minors' names. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-12: South Korean minors see surge in high-value stock and financial income South Korean minors are seeing a surge in wealth, with high-value stock holdings doubling and 1,606 individuals reporting average annual financial incomes of 104 million won. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-korean-minors-report-rising-financial-income ### 2026-08-27: South Korean household income rises 4.5% in Q2 2026 South Korean household income rose 4.5% in Q2 2026, driven by government relief, but real consumption grew only 0.4% as real labor income fell by 2.1%. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-korean-household-income-rises-45-in-q2-2026 --- Cite as: South Korean household income and wealth trends. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/south-korean-household-income-and-wealth-trends