From euphoria to despair, Korea reckons with stock mania's emotional toll

SEOUL, Aug 21: The stock market mania that gripped South Korea, fueled by government efforts to boost economic dynamism, has left investors emotionally scarred and raised questions about the nation's progress to developed market status. Since June 19, when the KOSPI benchmark peaked, the index has dropped by 30%, causing political fallout for President Lee Jae Myung's government.

As retail investors, dubbed "ants" for their swarm-like trading behavior, entered the market seeking quick profits, they faced severe losses and psychological distress. Jeon Suk-jae, a popular investment YouTuber with 3.7 million subscribers, observed a shift from euphoria to gloom on his channel, reflecting the nation's mood.

The rise in demand for psychiatric help and other signs of stress among investors has further troubled the public. In Busan, a man in his 20s was arrested for attempting to murder a YouTuber blamed for his stock losses.

President Lee's promise to eliminate the "Korea Discount," or the tendency of local stocks to lag global peers, spurred regulators to introduce more sophisticated products, including single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds, in May. Despite concerns over investor understanding of the risks, the products were approved.

The leveraged ETFs launched at a time when the KOSPI had already more than doubled from October levels, coinciding with a global AI boom that propelled Korean memory chipmakers to become $1 trillion companies. Investors, driven by the belief that leverage was the quickest way to overcome odds stacked against them, took on debt, with margin loans for KOSPI investment surging by about 75% in early 2023.