In Korea, many young people buy stocks because traditional wealth-building feels harder than ever. Apartments in Seoul are expensive, salaries feel slow, and saving alone can seem boring compared with AI stocks, U.S. ETFs, and chip companies like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.
South Korea’s stock market has been on an incredible ride in 2026, powered largely by AI excitement. The country’s main stock index, the KOSPI, surged as investors poured money into semiconductor giants like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.
But this week, reality hit hard.
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