K-pop sensation Lim Young-woong reportedly earned at least 15.5 billion KRW (approximately $11 million) last year.
According to recent filings with the Financial Supervisory Service's electronic disclosure system, Lim received 14.5 billion KRW in service fees and 1 billion KRW in dividends from his agency, Mulgogi Music. Given the structure of his one-man agency, these service fees are essentially considered settlement payments.
Mulgogi Music reported a revenue of 32 billion KRW in 2025, marking a 10% increase from the previous year. The company also recorded an operating profit of 10.6 billion KRW and a net profit of 9.3 billion KRW, indicating stable profitability. The revenue breakdown shows that music, albums, and performances accounted for 19.5 billion KRW, the largest share. Notably, media content revenue, including YouTube, surged over 14 times from 470 million KRW to 6.7 billion KRW, driving the company's performance.
In contrast, advertising revenue decreased to 2.1 billion KRW, but this did not significantly impact the overall revenue structure.
Lim Young-woong, who holds a 50% stake in Mulgogi Music, received half of the 2 billion KRW interim dividend, amounting to 1 billion KRW. His total estimated earnings, including this dividend, are approximately 15.5 billion KRW.
Industry experts praise Lim's model as a prime example of a 'one-man agency,' combining stable income from music and performances with rapidly growing digital content revenue.
Reported by Kim Se-ah, TenAsia haesmik@tenasia.co.kr