Seoul: The average income of South Korea's farming households soared to a record high in 2025, driven by a significant rise in earnings from livestock, as per government data released on Friday. The data revealed that the total income reached 54.66 million won (US$36,200), marking an 8 percent increase from the previous year.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the surge in income was primarily fueled by a 28.5 percent increase in income from livestock, alongside a 22.3 percent gain from the farming sector. Additionally, income from government subsidies and other transfer income saw a 9.1 percent rise, amounting to 19.89 million won.

The data also indicated that the average assets of farming households grew by 7.6 percent year-on-year to 663 million won, although their debt increased by 6 percent to 47.7 million won. In contrast, households engaged in fishing or fish farming experienced a decline, with their average income dropping 7.3 percent year-on-year to 58.98 million won in the same period.