Everyone’s going wild for stocks! Data reveals that South Korean minors hold nearly 3 trillion won, and they most love buying Samsung Electronics

Over the past year, South Korea’s stock market has entered an “epic bull market.” Not only have adult investors been actively stepping in, but the market value of stocks held by underage shareholders has also surged significantly. Underage shareholders under 20 hold stocks worth approximately 3 trillion won (about NT$64 billion).

Samsung Electronics, South Korea’s national stock, is the underage shareholders’ favorite

According to South Korean media reports, as of the end of last year, among the 200 largest publicly listed companies by market capitalization, 88 companies that disclosed shareholders’ age data had 728,344 shareholders under 20. Estimated using the companies’ closing prices at the end of last year, the value of those holdings had already reached 2 trillion 976.1 billion won (about NT$64 billion), approaching the 3 trillion won about NT$64 billion mark.

Among the stocks most preferred by underage investors, Samsung Electronics remains firmly in first place. As of the end of last year, the number of Samsung Electronics shareholders under 20 was 343,694, accounting for 8.19% of Samsung Electronics’ total shareholders. Collectively, these underage shareholders held 16,063,292 shares of Samsung Electronics—an average of 46.7 shares per person. Based on Samsung Electronics’ closing price at the end of last year of 119,900 Korean won, the average underage shareholder held Samsung Electronics stock worth about 5.6 million Korean won.

It is worth noting that the number of Samsung Electronics underage shareholders and the number of shares they hold actually declined compared with the previous year. At the end of 2024, Samsung Electronics had 394,886 shareholders under 20, holding 19,402,718 shares. By comparison, both the number of people and the number of shares fell at the end of last year. However, because Samsung Electronics’ stock price jumped from 53,200 won to 119,900 won over the course of a year, even though the number of shareholders declined, the value of the stocks held by underage shareholders increased significantly—rising to double the value per unit share.

South Korea: Underage shareholders’ stock value nears 3 trillion won

Among the leading stocks by market capitalization, NAVER has the second-highest number of underage shareholders, with 55,824 shareholders under 20. Next are 34,329 people at LG Energy Solution, followed by 19,184 people at LG Electronics. In terms of average holding value, underage shareholders on NAVER hold about 2.57 million won worth of stock on average, about 1.25 million won at LG Energy Solution, and about 1.72 million won at LG Electronics.

When looking at the “average holding value per underage shareholder,” the top spot is not Samsung Electronics, but Korea Zinc. Data shows that Korea Zinc’s average holding value for shareholders under 20 is as high as 45.64 million won—far higher than other large-cap stocks. Analysts from South Korean media say this is mainly related to shares held by members of the conglomerate’s fourth generation being included in the statistics, so it does not fully reflect the investment preferences of typical underage retail investors.

Overall, underage shareholders’ stock value in South Korea is nearing 3 trillion won, reflecting that in recent years Korean families have been building stock assets for their children earlier and earlier. It also shows that large technology stocks and national brand names remain core targets in underage accounts. Although Samsung Electronics’ number of underage shareholders fell compared with the previous year, boosted by the AI boom, the semiconductor cycle, and the broader rally in South Korean equities, it is still the most representative holding for underage investors.

However, this set of statistics also has limitations. Major large-cap stocks such as SK Hynix and Hyundai Motor, whose gains have been notable since last year, have not publicly disclosed the current situation of shareholders segmented by age, so they were not included in the full comparison. In other words, the actual picture of underage shareholders’ holdings in South Korea may be more scattered than what the currently disclosed data suggests—especially after the stock prices in the AI memory, automotive, and battery industry chain strengthened, the proportion of those groups within underage accounts still needs further observation.

This article, “Everyone Is Going Crazy for Stocks! Data Reveals South Korea’s Underage Stock Holdings Near 3 Trillion Won—Samsung Electronics Is the No. 1 Favorite,” was first published on Lianxin News ABMedia.