Over the past decade, YouTube has transformed from a simple video-sharing platform into a career-making powerhouse, and Korea’s content creators are among its biggest success stories. From beauty gurus to mukbang stars and gaming influencers, Korean YouTubers have amassed fortunes that rival K-pop idols and actors. In 2025, several of these digital stars have turned their online fame into massive wealth — thanks to ad revenue, brand deals, merchandise, and even their own product lines.
In this article, we’ll explore the richest Korean YouTubers in 2025, how they make their money, and why their success proves YouTube is one of Korea’s most lucrative industries.
Disclaimer: The content provided on KnowTheirNetWorth.com is intended for general informational and entertainment purposes only. All information, including net worth figures, income breakdowns, and biographies, is compiled from publicly available sources, online publications, social media profiles, interviews, and estimations made by industry analysts.
PONY Syndrome (Park Hye-Min)
Estimated Net Worth: $8 million+
Park Hye-Min, better known as PONY, is Korea’s most famous beauty YouTuber. Her professional makeup skills, celebrity collaborations, and creative transformations have made her a household name. PONY’s channel attracts millions of views per month, and her income streams go far beyond YouTube ad revenue.
Income Sources: YouTube ads, brand partnerships (including MAC Cosmetics and Etude House), her own makeup line, and beauty books.
Why She’s Rich: PONY capitalised early on the global beauty wave, becoming one of the first Korean makeup artists to achieve international fame.
Banzz (Jung Man-soo)
Estimated Net Worth: $6 million+
Banzz rose to fame as one of Korea’s most popular mukbang YouTubers, eating massive portions while chatting with viewers. While he’s now more focused on fitness and healthy eating content, his earlier mukbang videos still pull in impressive ad revenue.
Income Sources: YouTube ads, fitness product endorsements, his own snack brand, and sponsored livestreams.
Why He’s Rich: High watch time from mukbang videos means higher ad earnings, plus his shift into the health industry opened new sponsorship opportunities.
Jella (Jeong Jae-hyun & Lee Se-young)
Estimated Net Worth: $5 million+
This couple’s lifestyle channel exploded in popularity thanks to their charming personalities, travel vlogs, and relatable relationship content. Their videos consistently go viral in Korea and abroad.
Income Sources: YouTube ads, travel brand sponsorships, joint collaborations with Korean lifestyle brands.
Why They’re Rich: Their family-friendly content appeals to both local and international viewers, maximising their audience base.
RISABAE
Estimated Net Worth: $4 million+
RISABAE is another beauty powerhouse, known for her jaw-dropping celebrity transformation makeup tutorials. Her skills have made her a go-to artist for Korean celebrities and brands alike.
Income Sources: YouTube ads, brand deals with high-end cosmetic companies, live beauty events, and commercial makeup work.
Why She’s Rich: She combines influencer appeal with professional artistry, which attracts premium brand partnerships.
Yangdding
Estimated Net Worth: $4 million+
Yangdding started as a gaming YouTuber but later diversified into reaction videos, lifestyle content, and vlogs. His gaming live streams remain a key revenue driver.
Income Sources: YouTube ads, gaming sponsorships, merchandise sales, streaming platform income.
Why He’s Rich: Gaming remains one of the most profitable niches on YouTube, and Yangdding has built a loyal audience that follows him across different platforms.
Boram Tube (Boram)
Estimated Net Worth: $3 million+
Boram became a sensation as one of Korea’s youngest YouTube stars. Her toy unboxing and family-friendly videos attracted massive views, leading to lucrative ad deals.
Income Sources: YouTube ads, sponsorships with toy brands, merchandise, and appearances in children’s events.
Why She’s Rich: Kid-friendly channels have high engagement rates, attracting advertisers willing to pay premium rates.
How These Korean YouTubers Make Their Money
While ad revenue from YouTube remains a significant income source, the richest Korean YouTubers in 2025 diversify their earnings:
- Brand Partnerships: High-profile collaborations with beauty, tech, and lifestyle brands.
- Merchandise: Selling branded products, from makeup lines to clothing.
- Events & Appearances: Paid appearances at fan meetings, conventions, and brand events.
- Cross-Platform Presence: Income from streaming platforms like AfreecaTV and Twitch.
Why Korean YouTubers Are Thriving
Korean YouTubers have a unique advantage — the global popularity of Korean culture, or Hallyu. K-beauty, K-pop, and Korean food have millions of fans worldwide, giving these creators a massive international audience. This not only boosts their ad revenue but also makes them attractive to brands looking for global exposure.
Final Thoughts
From beauty influencers like PONY to mukbang stars like Banzz, Korea’s top YouTubers have proven that online fame can lead to real financial success. With diversified income streams and loyal audiences, they’ve turned YouTube into a multimillion-dollar business.
As the platform evolves, one thing is clear — the next generation of Korean YouTubers is already on the rise, and the richest list for 2026 might look very different.
Fun Facts About Korea’s Richest YouTubers
- In 2024, the top 1% of Korean YouTubers earned on average ₩848 million (≈ US$640,000) per person annually—accounting for nearly 30% of all creator revenue in Korea.
- The number of creators aged 20 or younger making more than ₩100 million (~US$72,000) yearly has more than doubled from 2020 to 2022.
- PONY (Park Hye-Min), one of Korea’s beauty YouTube icons, was featured in Forbes Asia’s 30 Under 30 in 2017, recognising her early influence in beauty trends globally.
- Boram Tube Vlog, which features a very young YouTuber (“Boram”) and her family, not only has millions of subscribers but reportedly used income from her channel & brand partnerships to purchase a multi-story building in Seoul’s Gangnam district.
- Gaming content remains one of the most lucrative niches. YouTubers like Yangdding, who expanded beyond gaming into reactions and lifestyle vlogs, benefit greatly because of loyal audiences who follow across platforms.
- The mukbang genre still holds strong — creators like Banzz earned a fortune from videos emphasizing high watch time, which boosts ad revenue significantly.
- Artists and creative-niche channels are getting more global attention: For example, Sanago (3D pen art) has attracted millions of subscribers overseas, with art pop-ups and merchandise expanding his revenue beyond YouTube.
- Monumental view counts aren’t always necessary: Some Korean YouTubers earn disproportionate income through brand deals, sponsored content, and live streaming, even when their subscriber numbers are moderate — especially if their content niche is strong. The top creators’ revenue is heavily concentrated among fewer, highly viewed and highly engaged channels.
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