1 in 5 Koreans Invest in Domestic Stocks... 4.65 Million More Than Last Year

Record of 13.84 Million Stock Investors as of End of Last Year
Samsung Electronics, Kakao, Hyundai Motor Lead in Number of Investors
40s Male Resident in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do Holds the Most Stocks

[Asia Economy Reporter Minji Lee] As of the end of last year, it was found that one in five South Koreans is investing in domestic stocks.

According to the Korea Securities Depository on the 17th, the number of stock owners (excluding duplicate owners) of 2,426 listed companies with fiscal year ending in December last year recorded 13.84 million, an increase of 50.6% (4.65 million people) compared to the previous year, showing a significant upward trend. The total number of shares held by all owners was about 107.2 billion shares, with an average of about 7,747 shares per owner. The average number of stocks owned per person was 5.96, an increase of 13.7% compared to the previous year, while the average number of shares owned per person was 7,747 shares, a decrease of 28.1% compared to the previous year.

By owner type, individual owners were the most numerous at 13.74 million. Considering the total population of South Korea (51.62 million), more than one in five people own domestic stocks. This was followed by corporate owners (39,000) and foreign owners (31,000). The average number of shares owned per person was highest for corporate owners at 1 million shares, followed by foreigners (440,000 shares) and individual owners (3,958 shares).

The stock with the highest number of owners in the KOSPI market was Samsung Electronics, with a total of 5,614,490 owners. This was followed by Kakao (1,918,321 owners) and Hyundai Motor (1,178,677 owners). In the KOSDAQ market, the top stocks were Celltrion Healthcare (294,160 owners), Interpark (290,439 owners), and Kakao Games (260,590 owners).

The number of companies where foreign owners hold more than 50% of shares was 34, down by 5 companies from the previous year. In the KOSPI market, the highest ratios were Dongyang Life Insurance (82.5%), Lock&Lock (78.5%), and Ssangyong Motor (75.7%). In the KOSDAQ market, Hugel (76.8%), Korea Investors Service (75.7%), and Coloray Holdings (71.9%) had the highest ratios.

Among individual owners, those in their 40s were the largest group with 3.17 million, followed by those in their 30s (2.85 million), 50s (2.75 million), and 20s (2.04 million). The number of shares owned was highest among those in their 50s with 18.3 billion shares, followed by those in their 40s (13.3 billion shares) and 60s (11.4 billion shares). By gender, there were 7.27 million men and 6.46 million women, with men estimated to own 38.6 billion shares and women 15.7 billion shares.

By region, residents of Gyeonggi Province were the most numerous at 3.6 million (26.2%), followed by Seoul with 3.39 million (24.7%), Busan with 850,000 (6.2%), and Gyeongsangnam-do with 720,000 (5.3%). The number of shares owned was highest in Seoul with 20.5 billion shares (37%), followed by Gyeonggi with 12.8 billion shares (23%) and Busan with 2.9 billion shares (5.3%). The region with the fewest owners was Sejong Special Self-Governing City with 100,000 (0.7%), and it also had the fewest shares owned at only 280 million shares.

Looking at stock owners by residence, gender, and age group, 40-year-old men living in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, were the most numerous nationwide at 44.7 million. Based on the number of shares owned, 50-year-old men living in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, owned the most with 1.18 billion shares.