Korea's stock market is missing 'long money'

Korea's stock market has failed to deliver long-term growth, disappointing investors who had hoped President Lee Jae Myung's administration would push the KOSPI index from 2,000 to 5,000. According to the Korea Corporate Governance Forum, a 100 million won investment in the U.S. stock market a decade ago would have grown to 340 million won by 2024, while investments in Japan and Taiwan would have reached 280 million won and 260 million won, respectively.

In contrast, the same 100 million won investment in Korea would have only reached 160 million won. The market's lackluster performance was evident to many, as former APG Asset Management director Park Yoo-kyung noted. Despite these challenges, global investors remained optimistic about President Lee's efforts to improve corporate governance and shareholder returns, addressing the so-called "Korea discount."

However, the real game-changer came with the artificial intelligence boom, with Korea's two leading semiconductor companies leading the charge. The KOSPI surged 75.89 percent in 2025, outperforming major markets.