Result:₩100 in 1997 → ₩207.80 in 2026
The South Korean Won has lost 52% its value since 1997
Updated: March 11, 2026₩100 in 1997 is equivalent in purchasing power to about ₩207.80 today, an increase of ₩107.80 over 29 years. The won had an average inflation rate of 2.55% per year between 1997 and today, producing a cumulative price increase of 107.80%.
This means that today's prices are 2.08 times as high as average prices since 1997, according to the OECD and the World Bank consumer price index for South Korea. A won today only buys 48.123% of what it could buy back then.
The inflation rate in 1997 was 4.44%. The current inflation rate compared to the end of last year is now 2.00%. If this number holds, ₩100 today will be equivalent in buying power to ₩102.00 next year.
⌃
| Cumulative price change | 107.80% |
| Average inflation rate | 2.55% |
|
Converted amount
₩100 base | ₩207.80 |
|
Price difference
₩100 base | ₩107.80 |
| CPI in 1997 | 60.064 |
| CPI in 2026 | 124.814 |
| Inflation in 1997 | 4.44% |
| Inflation in 2026 | 2.00% |
| ₩100 in 1997 | ₩207.80 in 2026 |
Buying power of ₩100 in 1997
This chart shows a calculation of buying power equivalence for ₩100 in 1997 (price index tracking began in 1965).
For example, if you started with ₩100, you would need to end with ₩207.80 in order to "adjust" for inflation (sometimes refered to as "beating inflation").
When ₩100 is equivalent to ₩207.80 over time, that means that the "real value" of a single South Korean won decreases over time. In other words, a won will pay for fewer items at the store.
This effect explains how inflation erodes the value of a won over time. By calculating the value in 1997 dollars, the chart below shows how ₩100 is worth less over 29 years.
According to the OECD and the World Bank, each of these KRW amounts below is equal in terms of what it could buy at the time:
This conversion table shows various other 1997 amounts in today's won, based on the 107.80% change in prices:
| Initial value | Equivalent value |
|---|---|
| ₩1 won in 1997 | ₩2.08 won today |
| ₩5 won in 1997 | ₩10.39 won today |
| ₩10 won in 1997 | ₩20.78 won today |
| ₩50 won in 1997 | ₩103.90 won today |
| ₩100 won in 1997 | ₩207.80 won today |
| ₩500 won in 1997 | ₩1,039.02 won today |
| ₩1,000 won in 1997 | ₩2,078.04 won today |
| ₩5,000 won in 1997 | ₩10,390.19 won today |
| ₩10,000 won in 1997 | ₩20,780.37 won today |
| ₩50,000 won in 1997 | ₩103,901.87 won today |
| ₩100,000 won in 1997 | ₩207,803.73 won today |
| ₩500,000 won in 1997 | ₩1,039,018.67 won today |
| ₩1,000,000 won in 1997 | ₩2,078,037.35 won today |
How to calculate inflation rate for ₩100 since 1997
Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1997 and today:
CPI todayCPI in 1997
×
1997 KRW value
=
Today's value
Then plug in historical CPI values. The South Korean CPI was 60.06355 in the year 1997 and 124.8143 in 2026:
124.814360.06355
×
₩100
=
₩207.80
₩100 in 1997 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as ₩207.80 in 2026.
To get the total inflation rate for the 29 years between 1997 and 2026, we use the following formula:
CPI in 2026 - CPI in 1997CPI in 1997
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (29 years)
Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:
124.8143 - 60.0635560.06355
×
100
=
108%
Data source & citation
You may use the following MLA citation for this page: “Value of 1997 South Korean Won today | South Korea Inflation Calculator.” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 2 Apr. 2026, https://www.officialdata.org/south-korea/inflation/1997.
Special thanks to QuickChart for their chart image API, which is used for chart downloads.
| Cumulative price change | 107.80% |
| Average inflation rate | 2.55% |
|
Converted amount
₩100 base | ₩207.80 |
|
Price difference
₩100 base | ₩107.80 |
| CPI in 1997 | 60.064 |
| CPI in 2026 | 124.814 |
| Inflation in 1997 | 4.44% |
| Inflation in 2026 | 2.00% |
| ₩100 in 1997 | ₩207.80 in 2026 |