As of the end of last year, the number of investors in the Korean stock market reached 14.6 million, with 99.1% being retail investors.

According to market data released on Wednesday, the number of shareholder entities of listed companies in South Korea reached nearly 15 million last year.

Based on data from the Korea Securities Depository (KSD), by the end of December, the number of shareholders of the 2,727 listed companies in South Korea reached 14.6 million, a 2.3% increase compared to 2024.

KSD stated that 99.1% of these shareholders are individual investors, with foreign investors accounting for 0.2%.

The data shows that market giant Samsung Electronics has the largest number of shareholders, totaling 4.6 million, a decrease of over 1 million from 2024’s 5.7 million.

In contrast, Samsung’s chip manufacturing competitor SK Hynix has 1.19 million shareholders, a growth of over 50% compared to 2024.

SK Hynix’s stock price soared from 173,900 won on December 30, 2024, to 651,000 won at the end of last year, nearly quadrupling. During the same period, Samsung Electronics’ stock price also more than doubled, but its growth was relatively moderate compared to SK Hynix’s astonishing rise.