In the joint survey of 613 married women by the Chosun Ilbo and research firm Embrain between Nov. 26 and 28, 65.3 percent of respondents say they keep a secret stash of money.

Some 22.5 percent said they have a secret fund of between W1 million and W3 million (US$1=W922), 17.5 percent said they have between W3 million and W5 million, and 9.8 percent said they have between W500,000 and W1 million. Some 3.3 percent of respondents claimed to have accumulated more than W50 million in their secret fund.

When asked why they're salting away money, 34.3 percent said they are preparing for contingencies, 25.3 percent said it was for peace of mind with no special reason and 8.3 percent said the money was for their own interests.

Kim Eun-jeong, asset management team leader with Shinhan Bank, said, “Many married women keep secret funds so they don’t need to ask for money from their husbands and they can freely give pocket money to their parents.”

Some 38.5 percent of the women said they built their secret fund by saving living expenses, 20.5 percent said by asset management including investing in stocks, and 14 percent said by saving work bonuses. Twelve percent said they built their fund through part-time work and 11 percent said they accumulated the money before they married.

Most respondents -- 63.7 percent -- said they don't plan to tell their husbands about the money.

(englishnews@chosun.com )