"Achieving 1 Billion Won Through Stocks" Office Worker Remains Optimistic Despite Mandatory Paid Leave and Halved Salary

Achieving 1 Billion Won Through Stock Investments With 600 Million Won in Savings
"Financial Assets Are More Impactful Than Real Estate"

An office worker has revealed that he has amassed 1 billion won through stock investments, sparking significant interest among other employees.

Yonhap News

Recently, a post titled “Making 1 billion won through stocks feels different from the sense of liberation that comes with success in real estate investment” was uploaded to Blind, an anonymous community for office workers.

The author, identified as Mr. A, introduced himself as a 52-year-old employee at Lotte Engineering & Construction. He stated, “I saved 600 million won solely through deposits, and after reading articles about pension savings, I began actively investing in stocks about two years ago.”

He reported that his total assets now amount to approximately 3.5 billion won, with one house each in Seoul, Ilsan, and Busan. Last year, he invested his entire savings of 600 million won into stocks and, thanks to the ongoing bull market, his financial assets have recently surpassed 1 billion won.

Regarding his specific investment strategy, he explained, “I have been diversifying my investments into S&P 500, Nasdaq, U.S. Treasury bonds, and gold ETFs. Since the end of last year, I have also resumed investing in individual stocks on the domestic market.” He added, “While the returns have not been extraordinary, I have gained confidence in the all-weather investing strategy. In particular, during the volatility surrounding the Trump incident this past March, my portfolio was well-protected.”

Mr. A emphasized the psychological stability provided by financial assets, stating, “As you may know, my company is facing difficulties and has mandated a two-month paid leave, causing unrest. My salary has been cut in half, but I have no worries at all.”

He continued, “Even though there is talk of voluntary retirement due to the company’s poor condition, I am not concerned at all. In the past, I was swayed by stories of people around me succeeding in real estate investment, but now I can genuinely congratulate them.”

He added, “Today, I even bought coffee for a junior who made their first real estate purchase. As my financial assets approach 1 billion won, I find myself gaining confidence at work, and my relationships with others are becoming more liberated.” He went on to say, “I no longer have to worry about promotions or pleasing my superiors, and my relationship with my spouse has also improved.”

Mr. A commented, “Having 1 billion won in financial assets seems to be more impactful than having over 2 billion won in real estate.” He highlighted the liquidity of stocks, which can be converted into cash at any time, as a key advantage. He continued, “I grew up poor, so frugality is second nature to me. I still can’t bring myself to buy expensive things, but I do allow myself to enjoy fruit and coffee as much as I want. My dream was always to have a refrigerator full of delicious food.”

Mr. A concluded that going to cafes with his wife on weekends is his only hobby, saying, “Of course, it must be better for people who have 5 billion or 10 billion won, but this is enough for me,” expressing his great satisfaction with his current life.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.