Credit: Public domain.

According to a March 24 report by the Bureau of Statistics 통계청, the average Q4 2024 account surplus for households in the 40th to 60th percentiles by income was KRW 658k (USD 448), the lowest figure in five years.

The financial cushion for the middle class has been shrinking for three quarters in a row, and in Q4 2024 fell below KRW 700k for the first time in five years.