Data released by the Korea Financial Investment Association on the 19th showed that as of the 18th, investor deposits at South Korean securities firms reached 104.755 trillion won, an increase of 4.0447 trillion won from the previous trading day (the 14th), far exceeding the 100 trillion won mark. This amount increased significantly during the South Korean stock market rally this year, but investor deposits decreased somewhat as the KOSPI index adjusted. Typically, when there are new IPOs, investor deposits often increase by trillions of won as investors need to raise funds to purchase the soon-to-be-listed shares; however, without such events, a 4 trillion won increase in a single day is considered significant. Analysts believe this is related to the recent rise in the KOSPI index. The balance of credit financing, reflecting "borrowing money to speculate in stocks," also continued its upward trend. As of the 18th, the balance of credit financing increased by 237 billion won from the previous trading day, reaching 31.1045 trillion won, the highest level this month. Accounts receivable for short-term margin trading also rose to 920.2 billion won, up from 867 billion won in the previous trading day. Stocks worth 6.4 billion won, or 0.7% of total accounts receivable, were forcibly liquidated due to failure to repay these receivables. With both investor deposits and margin trading increasing simultaneously, market analysts are beginning to believe that investor sentiment among South Korean individuals may be gradually recovering.
