Inside Koreas stock craze: weekend stock classes draw people of all ages [EAj9vT3ocMc]
주말에도 붐비는 주식학원, 한국은 지금 주식 열풍 Weekend mornings are taking on a new meaning here in South Korea with stock market classes gathering crowds of people eager to learn the basics and the risks of investing in the local bourse. Our Kim Jun-hong was there. "It's Saturday morning here in Yeouido, the heart of Seoul's financial market. Office workers are gone for the weekend, but this academy is just getting ready to welcome students." Class kicks off with an analysis of one of last week's biggest market stories: SK hynix's ADR debut. Every class here is about stocks. For around 330 U.S. dollars a month, students receive lessons from basic chart reading to company analysis and overall market conditions. Enrollment has risen alongside this year's stock market rally. "A year ago, we'd get just a few calls a day. Now it's over 30, and enrollment has more than doubled. Recent calls have been from investors who bought Samsung Electronics or SK hynix near their highs." Students range from college students in their twenties to retirees in their seventies. Including those taking the course online, the academy now has several hundred students. "I never thought stock investing was something I should do, so I didn't even have a brokerage account. But after a lot of recommendations, I decided to give it a try by learning the basics." Some are shifting how they manage their wealth a little later in life. "Most of my investments used to be in real estate. But I think stocks make more sense now. I hope steady investing will help me enjoy a comfortable retirement." After first reaching the 5,000 point mark in late January, it took just five months for the benchmark KOSPI to climb another 4,000 points to reach 9,000. Rising chip demand and AI optimism lifted the country's chip giants, drawing new retail investors into the market. That trend was reflected in new brokerage account openings across every age group. Accounts for children and teenagers were up more than 600 percent year-on-year, while the figure for people aged 60 and above rose more than 250 percent. Real estate has long dominated wealth building in Korea. But that formula is beginning to change, with more money flowing into financial assets. "Some money has shifted from real estate into financial assets since last year's rally. More investors are now taking a longer-term view of Korean stocks instead of treating them as short-term trades." Experts, however, say it's too early to call it a structural shift. Whether individuals continue investing despite market uncertainty will determine if the trend truly takes hold. Kim Jun-hong, Arirang News. #SouthKorea #Weekend #Stock #Classes #Stock_Classes #대한민국 #주말 #주식 #주식학원 #Arirang_News #아리랑뉴스 📣 Facebook : 📣 Youtube : 📣 Homepage : 2026-07-13, 17:00 (KST)