The Korean stock market, specifically the KOSPI, has experienced an unprecedented rally since the start of the month, with a 24% increase. However, individual investors have been left behind, feeling frustrated and deprived as their stocks fail to rise alongside the market. The column unpacks the week's economic news in an easy and engaging way, highlighting the challenges faced by retail investors.
‘Sell and go away’ May sees KOSPI jump 24% Only 14% of stocks rose. Only semiconductors·IT sprinted Sixteen sectors, including construction·chemicals, fell This is the column written by reporters on the Kyunghyang Shinmun business desk.
We unpack the week's economic news in an easy and engaging way. ChatGPT-generated image "They say the stock market is booming, so why is my stock not rising?
" It is a new record every other day. Even as a reporter writing this, I feel a daily sense of deja vu. I am sure I wrote a "record high" story the day before, too. Yes, this is about the KOSPI, which is in the midst of an unprecedented rally.
Since the start of this month, the KOSPI has risen 24%. It has risen enough to make the adage "Sell in May" look irrelevant, as markets usually turn weak in May. Many experts at home and abroad expect the KOSPI to touch 10,000 points within this year.
For many individual investors, however, watching this is not all that joyful. It even feels bitter and painful. The current KOSPI strength is a kind of optical illusion created because certain large-cap names such as 'Samjeonnix (Samsung Electronics·SK hynix)' have surged at a blistering pace.
Looking under the hood, there are more stocks with lackluster gains or even declines. In a once-in-a-decade bull run, the sense of being left behindand even taking lossesan alienation (FOMO) that only intensifies the rush into the leading names.
This week in , we examine with objective indicators that frustrating feeling that everyone seems to be making money in stocks while only mine are not.
"It is upsetting and makes me feel deprived"... In reality, six out of ten stocks have fallen by more than 10% "It is annoying even to talk about. I am in the red. Even in this situation...
" Mr. Kim (39), an individual investor, is a representative case. A 12-year office worker, a large share of his stock portfolio is concentrated in domestic equities. The stock that gives him headaches these days is SK Biopharm.
In 2020, riding the development of an innovative epilepsy drug, the company went public successfully, and Kim bought about 17 million won worth of shares. Five years on, his account now shows a stark -27%.
With risks from treatment patent expirations and worries about delays in new pipelines, the shares have been trapped in a trading range for five years. Around the end of last year, there was a 'chance to get out'.
But Kim sighed, saying, 'When it came near my purchase price, I left it, thinking 'if it goes higher, I will sell,' and then it fell.
' While the KOSPI rose more than 20% just this month, SK Biopharm fell about 8%. Kim confided, 'It is upsetting and gives me a sense of deprivation when everything rises except mine,' adding, 'Reading market articles is not that pleasant.
' Would it be any consolation if Kim were not the only one with this heartburn-inducing experience? Early this year, at the beginning of the rally when the KOSPI broke through the 4,000 level, many retail investors held out hope that 'a rescue team might come for my stuck positions'.
In particular, many were trapped after investing in information technology (IT) themes as so-called 'untact (contactless) plays' during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kakao is a prime example. Kakao rose to 170,000 won in June 2021, then fell into the 30,000-won range.
It briefly looked as if it might climb back to around 67,000 won in the second half of last year, but this year it has dropped about 38%, heading back toward a five-year low. All this happened while the KOSPI doubled precisely from the 4,200 level to the 8,400 level.
If you break down the statistics, there have been more decliners than gainers on the KOSPI recently. According to the Korea Exchange, over the past month, of 923 KOSPI listings (excluding halted issues), only 126 rose. The remaining 797 fell or were flat.
A full 585 names, or 63% of the entire KOSPI, declined by double digits (10%) or more. On the 28th, the day after the KOSPI retook the '8,000' level, 90% of main-board stocks fell. Only 10% advanced. It is not that everything went up except your stocks; in fact, most fell.
KOSPI sector returns in May. Provided by Kiwoom Securities A small handful of stocks pushed the index higher.
The undisputed semiconductor leaders SK hynix (+76.85%) and Samsung Electronics (+40.65%) surged, and semiconductor·electronic-parts plays such as Samsung Electro-Mechanics (+154.83%), Samwha Capacitor (+161.11%), and LG Innotek (+135.53%) also exploded higher. The rest faced headwinds: of 26 sectors, 16 fell, including construction (15%), utilities (14%), media (13%), and chemicals (11%).
Only three sectors exceeded the KOSPI gain of 24%: IT hardware (83%), semiconductors (52%), and automobiles (25%). Outside semiconductors, sectors are 'oversold'..
Korean Stock Market KOSPI Unprecedented Rally Frustration Deprivation Semiconductor Leaders IT Hardware Automobiles Advance-Decline Ratio (ADR)
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
New York Stock Market Falls on Iran Tensions and Consumer Price DataThe New York Stock Market opened lower on news of tensions between the US and Iran and positive consumer price data. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 83.31 points, or 0.16%, to 50,560.97. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite also fell, with the S&P 500 down 6.00 points, or 0.08%, to 7,514.36 and the Nasdaq Composite down 49.15 points, or 0.18%, to 26,625.58.
Read more »
National Pension Service Increases Domestic Stock Target Share Amid Market VolatilityThe National Pension Service, the 'big hand' in the domestic stock market, has decided to significantly raise this year's target share of domestic stocks from 14.9% to 20.8% to minimize market impact and enhance the fund's long-term profitability and stability.
Read more »
Four months into ‘Sell Korea’, 43 trillion offloaded just this month···Are foreigners lining up to exit the Korean stock market?On the 29th, when the KOSPI set another all-time high, foreigners were found to have sold more than 1 trillion KRW of Korean stocks. Foreigners’ selling of Korean equities has continued for four mo...
Read more »
Korean Folk Art Meets Western Style: A Unique Interpretation of Traditional Korean ArchitectureThis news article explores the unique interpretation of traditional Korean architecture by blending Korean folk art with Western style. The article highlights the fascinating blend of Korean and Western architectural elements, such as the use of ancient Greek and Roman architectural techniques, European architectural motifs, and the incorporation of Korean folk art elements like the '기복' (祈福) motif.
Read more »
‘삼전닉스’ 빼고 다 떨어졌다…코스피 불장, 나만 비켜간 이유이경민 대신증권 연구원은 '반도체 대형주가 주목받으며 쏠림 현상이 강화되고 있다'며 '반도체를 제외한 업종에서는 일부 개별주만 선별적으로 상승하며 종목 간 차별화 뚜렷해지고 있다'고 분석했다. 키움증권이 집계한 28일 기준 이달 코스피 상승률 24% 가운데 이익 기여도는 8.5%포인트, 주가수익비율(PER) 기여도는 15.5%포인트였다. 코스피 상승률 중 PER 기여도가 EPS 기여도보다 높다는 것은 주가 상승이 실제 실적 개선보다 ‘앞으로 더 좋아질 것’이라는 낙관론에 더 크게 의존했다는 뜻으로도 해석된다.
Read more »
![[경제뭔데]“8천피 넘었는데 내 주식은 왜…” ‘삼전닉스’ 없어서 서러운 개미들, 혼자가 아니다](https://i.headtopics.com/images/2026/5/29/kyunghyang/9144221512284791698721-9144221512284791698721-7B27BCB5BA8D7FAA724852D15E05A741.webp?w=640)
[경제뭔데]“8천피 넘었는데 내 주식은 왜…” ‘삼전닉스’ 없어서 서러운 개미들, 혼자가 아니다“증시는 호황이라는데 왜 내 주식은 안 오를까요?” 하루건너 하루 신기록입니다. 기사를 쓰는 입장에서도 매일 기시감을 느낍니다. 분명 전날에도 “사상 최고치” 기사를 썼던 것 같거든요. 네, 유례없는 상승 랠리를 이어가고 있는 코스피 이야기입니다. 이달 들어 코스피는 24% 상승했습니다. 증시가 보통 5월에는 약세에 접어들므로 “팔고 떠나라(셀 인 메...
Read more »