Open a New Securities Account and Get Stocks and Coin Futures as a Gift

Account Opening Event Flood

As the COVID-19 pandemic prolonged in 2020, it was the "Donghak Ants" who supported the shaken stock market. This year, a new term "Donghak Ant Movement" emerged amid the personal investor stock frenzy. It is a metaphor comparing domestic individual investors buying large amounts of Korean stocks against institutions and foreigners to the 1894 anti-foreign movement called the "Donghak Peasant Revolution." Since the KOSPI index surpassed 2000 in July 2007, it has been stuck in a range for 13 years and never approached the 3000 mark. On December 4, the KOSPI index exceeded 2700 for the first time in history, raising hopes that it will break through 3000 next year. On the 11th, the Seoul Yeouido financial district was bustling late into the evening. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jihwan] Competition to attract individual investors in the securities industry is intensifying day by day, and the benefits for opening new accounts, which used to be limited to preferential commission rates, are now expanding to include cash support as well as stock or cryptocurrency gifts.

According to the securities industry on the 16th, Eugene Investment & Securities announced that it will provide new customers who open a non-face-to-face account for the first time with cryptocurrency Klay (KLAY) worth 5,000 won until the end of June. This applies to customers who open a new online account for the first time through the digital asset wallet Klip. Customers who trade more than 10 million won in domestic stocks in the month of account opening will receive an additional Klay worth 10,000 won, and among customers who trade more than 10 billion won, one person will be selected by lottery each month to receive Klay worth 10 million won.

It is also possible to receive listed stocks. Toss Securities is currently running a “Receive 1 Stock Gift” event for new account opening customers until the 18th. One stock is given by random lottery from a total of 26 stocks including Hyundai Motor and Samsung Electronics. Shinhan Financial Investment also gifts stocks such as LG Chem, SK Hynix, and Samsung Electronics to customers opening their first-ever account until the end of May.

Although small, investment funds can also be supported. Hi Investment & Securities will provide a congratulatory payment of 10,000 won when opening a non-face-to-face account until the 13th of next month, and an additional 10,000 won for trading over 1 million won. If the trading condition of at least 100 million won is met, up to 500,000 won in cash can be received. Kiwoom Securities is also running a “Cash 40,000 Won Dream” event providing 40,000 won in cash to new non-face-to-face customers until next month.

The existing industry’s representative benefit for account opening, preferential commission rates, is a given. Most major securities firms such as Korea Investment & Securities, NH Investment & Securities, and Samsung Securities are implementing preferential commission policies at the level of 0.003~0.004%, applying only related institution fees.

The recent strengthening of customer acquisition marketing by securities companies is because the domestic stock investment population is rapidly increasing. Last month, the number of active domestic stock trading accounts exceeded 40 million for the first time. After surpassing 10 million accounts in 2007 and 20 million in 2012, the number increased by 10 million accounts within a year after surpassing 30 million accounts in March last year. Although it slightly decreased from about 70 trillion won at the beginning of the year, investor deposits, which have the nature of standby funds, remain at about 63 trillion won.