"You Need at Least 10 Billion Won to Be Wealthy"... Where Asset Holders with 1 Billion Won Plan to Invest Next Year

KB Financial Group Releases "2025 Korea Wealth Report"
Number of Wealthy Koreans Grows by About 10% Annually
Financial Investment Stance for Next Year: "Maintain the Status Quo"
More Favorable Opinions Toward Increasing Stock Investments

It is estimated that the number of wealthy individuals in South Korea holding financial assets worth more than 1 billion won (approximately 1 million dollars) has surpassed 470,000. The total financial assets held by these individuals reached 3,066 trillion won, exceeding 3,000 trillion won for the first time this year.

These wealthy individuals selected "stocks" as their top choice for promising investment destinations expected to yield high returns next year and over the next three to five years.

The Number of Wealthy Koreans Increases by Around 10% Annually... Proportion of Real Estate Assets Declines

According to the "2025 Korea Wealth Report" published by KB Financial Group Management Research Institute on December 14, the number of "wealthy individuals" with financial assets of at least 1 billion won increased from 130,000 in 2011 to 476,000 in 2025, growing by 9.7% annually.

The total financial assets they hold also grew by an average of 7.2% per year, rising from 1,158 trillion won in 2011 to 3,066 trillion won this year. Thanks to the recovery of the financial market driven by a strong stock market, this figure increased by 8.5% compared to the previous year. Total real estate assets amounted to 2,971 trillion won, but due to uncertainty in the real estate market, the growth was limited to 6%, a smaller increase compared to previous years (7.7% in 2023 and 10.2% in 2024).

The overall asset portfolio of wealthy Koreans has shifted, with the proportion of real estate assets decreasing and the share of other assets increasing. The proportion of real estate assets dropped from 58.1% in 2011 to 54.8%. Unlike financial assets, which saw little change in their share, other assets have increased their proportion in the portfolios of wealthy Koreans, as investments in physical assets such as gold and jewelry, as well as alternative investments like virtual assets, have grown in recent years.

For the past 15 years, the asset threshold that wealthy Koreans consider as the standard for wealth has consistently remained at 10 billion won. However, the sources of their wealth have shifted somewhat. While real estate investment and inheritance/gifts were once the main sources, there has been a move toward business income, with an increasing number also growing their wealth through earned income and financial investment gains. Their interests in asset management have also diversified, expanding from a focus on real estate investment to financial investment, physical assets, rebalancing, and virtual assets.

Proportion of Liquid Financial Assets and Deposits Increases

The largest portion of the total assets held by wealthy individuals was "residential housing (31.0%)", followed by "liquid financial assets (12.0%)" such as cash and demand deposits, "non-residential housing (10.4%)", "deposits and savings (9.7%)", "buildings and commercial properties (8.7%)", and "stocks (7.9%)".

Compared to the previous year, the proportion of liquid financial assets and deposits increased, and the share of stocks also rose slightly due to higher stock prices. On the other hand, as new real estate investments continued to shrink, the proportion of detailed real estate assets generally declined.

Over the past year, the number of wealthy individuals who experienced "gains" (34.9%) from financial investments was 3.7 times higher than those who experienced "losses" (9.4%). The research institute explained that this is related to the strong stock market and solid bond market performance observed in the first half of the year.

Financial Investment Stance for Next Year: "Maintain the Status Quo"... Stocks Remain Top Priority

Wealthy individuals commonly selected "stocks" as the top investment destination expected to yield high returns next year and over the medium to long term (the next three to five years).

Even as a wait-and-see attitude prevails in the financial market overall, "increasing investment in stocks" (17.0%) was the most common response, three times higher than "reducing investment in stocks" (5.8%). Compared to last year, the proportion planning to add funds to stocks rose by 1.7 percentage points, while the proportion planning to withdraw funds dropped sharply by 16 percentage points, reflecting heightened expectations for stock investments.

The "2025 Korea Wealth Report" was compiled based on a survey of 400 wealthy Koreans conducted from July 21 to August 31, as well as in-depth individual interviews with a separate panel. The report is available on the KB Financial Group Management Research Institute website.