An average of 21 minors a year reported pay above 100 million won, including one child age 5 or younger
Hundreds of minors have been registered as business representatives in South Korea annually, including children too young to attend elementary school, health insurance data showed Monday.
An annual average of 382 minors were registered as business representatives from 2021 to 2025, according to National Health Insurance Service data obtained by Rep. Moon Jin-seok of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea.
Of them, 21 reported annual pay exceeding 100 million won ($72,200).
“The fact that a child barely out of diapers can be listed as a business representative earning 100 million won a year illustrates the inequality in our society,” Moon said.
By age group, an annual average of 151 were aged 11 to 15, followed by 129 aged 16 to 18 and 81 aged 6 to 10. Twenty-two were 5 or younger.
Among those reporting more than 100 million won in annual pay, 12 were aged 11 to 15, six were aged 16 to 18, two were aged 6 to 10, and one was 5 or younger.
The five annual counts totaled 1,909 registrations.
The figure does not necessarily represent 1,909 different individuals, as the same minor may have been counted in multiple years.
The data covered only minors enrolled in the state-run health insurance program through workplaces where they were listed as business representatives.
The registrations were heavily concentrated in property-related businesses. Of the 100 highest-paid cases examined over the five years, 95 were in real estate, rental and business services. Four were in wholesale, retail and consumer goods repair, while one was in manufacturing.
Seoul accounted for the largest share, with an annual average of 237 minor business representatives, followed by Gyeonggi Province with 69, Incheon with 23 and Busan with 19.
The data alone did not establish whether the minors actually managed the businesses or whether any laws were broken.
Moon called on the National Tax Service and the NHIS to jointly investigate whether family-run corporations were being used to make improper gifts or shift parents’ income to their children.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
