South Korean retail investors are known for their risk-taking. However, the brutal reversal of the KOSPI index in July shocked even these seasoned investors, exposing the limits of their tolerance for volatility.
Some retail investors have vowed never to invest again, while others have likened the $3.9 trillion market to a casino. Despite a stunning 18% rebound in the KOSPI index on Friday, retail investors still recorded a record net sell-off of the index's constituent stocks. The index still fell 22% that month, its biggest monthly drop since the global financial crisis.
Frustration is palpable on social media, with much of the blame directed at the government. Encouraged by President Lee Jae-myung's stock market reforms and the launch of leveraged ETFs offering amplified returns, retail investors poured approximately 78 trillion won (about $54.2 billion) into KOSPI stocks in May and June, only to be severely impacted by the index's dramatic volatility in July. “That was the era of KOSPI frenzy,” said a South Korean stock investor who invested in South Korean stocks for the first time in early May. “I was completely swept up in the craze. Now, to be honest, I’m scared. I have two principles etched in my mind now. First: Don’t invest in the South Korean stock market. Second: Adhere to the first principle.”
