Korea's wealthy split over inheritance timing, asset allocation

High net worth individuals broadly share concerns that they are insufficiently prepared for inheritance and gifting, but sharp generational differences emerge over what drives conflict in asset transfers, according to a report published Wednesday by Hanwha Life’s Inheritance Solution Institute. Wealthy respondents in their 30s and 40s identified asset allocation as the primary source of tension, while those in their 60s and 70s focused more on the timing of wealth transfers. The report also revealed contrasting views on family business succession. The institute released “Journey of Wealth 2025,” its first in-depth study tracing the full life cycle of wealth, from accumulation to transfer through inheritance and gifting, viewed through a life-stage perspective. The study noted that Korea’s rapid economic growth has produced distinct generational experiences among grandparents, parents and children, resulting in fundamentally different attitudes toward wealth. Focusing on high net worth individuals in their 30s and 40s and those in their 60s and 70s — both pivotal age ranges for