A third-year full-time investor, a person surnamed Lee (32), said this. As the KOSPI continues a bull run, renewing its record high, more Les Fourmis (individual investors) are leaving their jobs to become full-time investors.
Lee was an "artist" who had walked a single path with the violin for more than 20 years, attending an arts middle and high school, a college of music, and studying in France, but is now a full-time investor making a living from stock investing.
However, Lee emphasized, "If you choose full-time investing thinking it's easy, that's a big mistake." The day starts every morning at 6 a.m. by checking the U.S. stock market. After reviewing key economic indicators and news on holdings, Lee begins trading as the domestic market opens, and after the close, checks the U.S. premarket again.
Having recently given birth, Lee said, "Up until the day before delivery, I checked the market whenever I had a spare moment," adding, "It's a life of being glued to the market all day."
◇ as KOSPI jumps, searches for "full-time investing" also surge
Amid the market's sharp gains, the boom in full-time investing is visible across various indicators.
According to Naver Datalab on the 1st, searches for "full-time investing" as of the previous day were about five times higher than a year earlier. On Google Trends as well, searches for "full-time investing" and "full-time investor" have jumped since April this year.
As the market spiked in a short period, the perception among individual investors that "now is the chance" appears to have spread, increasing cases of considering a switch to full-time. Over the past year, the KOSPI and KOSDAQ indices have risen about 159% and 68%, respectively.
Content related to full-time investing is also thriving. As of the previous day, posts on social media (SNS) with the hashtags (#) full-time investing and full-time investor totaled about 48,000. Posts with full-time investing mom and budding full-time investor reached 500 and 100, respectively. On YouTube, videos covering full-time investors' investing secrets surpassed 1 million views, drawing strong attention.
Investment books are also popular in bookstores. According to Kyobo Book Centre, sales in the stocks and securities category in the first quarter of this year (January–March) rose about 90% from a year earlier. According to YES24, more than half of the top 20 bestsellers in economics and business last month were about stock investing.
More people are reportedly seeking out gatherings of full-time investors. A 10-year investor, a person surnamed Kang (39), who runs a full-time investing office, said, "Lately, even among ordinary office workers, more people seem to be achieving strong investing results and considering going full-time," adding, "Sometimes people who joined investing groups as a hobby and side job decide to switch and join a full-time investing office."
A person surnamed Kim (28), employed at a small or midsize company, said, "After making a third of my annual salary in a month from stocks, I'm seriously considering quitting," adding, "I'm thinking of focusing on full-time investing for about two years, then preparing to reenter the workforce depending on the results."
◇ a downturn can come anytime…avoid reckless "debt-fueled investing"
Experts note the recent mood may be an "illusion created by a major bull market." In a bull market, it is relatively easy to generate revenue, which can lead to overestimating one's investing skills.
An asset management industry official said, "During a strong upswing, an environment emerges in which even individuals without much investing experience can easily make money," adding, "Basing a decision to go full-time solely on performance during this period is very risky."
The official added, "Full-time investing without a fixed income is hard to sustain over the long term without rigorous risk management skills and sufficient capital capacity."
After the COVID-19 crisis, when the market was strong on the back of liquidity, the mood was similar to now. Compared with January 2020, searches for full-time investing jumped ninefold in June 2021, when the "Donghak Ant Movement" was at its peak. Sales of stock and securities books rose 133% and 238% year over year in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
However, as the market went through a correction afterward, both the KOSPI index and the KOSDAQ index took about four years to reclaim their 2021 peaks.
Jeong Eui-jeong, head of the Korea Stock Investors Association, said, "In just one to two years, the KOSPI index has surged from the 2,000 range to near 7,000, producing people who are making money and spurring a rush into investing, which in turn has increased demand for full-time investors," but also urged caution: "Keep in mind that a sharp plunge can come at any time, and avoid reckless investing."