Saving Part-Time Wages for Tuition? "No, For Stocks"... 7 Out of 10 Students Start Investing From Freshman Year

Managing Seed Money Early in University Life

Preference for Long-Term Holding over Short-Term Trading

A recent study has found that 7 out of 10 college students in Korea are engaging in financial activities such as investing their savings, earned mainly from part-time jobs, into stocks or digital assets. The age at which students begin investing is also trending younger, with many starting in their early college years.

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According to a survey conducted by Binoulabs Insight through the university life platform Everytime on 500 university students nationwide, 68.0% of respondents said they are currently participating in investments.

The most common time to start investing was during the first or second year of college, accounting for 66.8%. This was followed by high school (20.4%), upperclassmen years in college (8.0%), and before middle school (4.8%).

When it comes to the types of investment products they manage, domestic stocks were overwhelmingly popular at 77.6% (multiple responses allowed), followed by foreign stocks at 63.2%. Other options included bonds, funds, and individual savings accounts (ISA) at 21.8%, and digital assets at 15.3%.

College students are being interviewed about their stock investment status. Screenshot from Toss YouTube channel @toss_official

In terms of investment size, small amounts of 3 million won or less accounted for 50.4%, making up more than half. However, 24.1% invested between 3.01 million and 10 million won, while 25.6% invested more than 10.01 million won, indicating that a considerable number were investing significant sums.

The primary source for these initial investment funds was labor income from part-time jobs (43.5%). This was followed by personal allowance (22.4%) and deposits or savings accounts (18.8%).

Regarding their investment approach and tendencies, a much higher proportion favored "long-term holding" (70.6%) over aggressive short-term trading (29.4%). In terms of investor temperament, the majority identified as stable (53.8%) or neutral to risk (36.8%).

Stock-related stories from people in their 20s posted on social networking services (SNS). Thread capture

However, 38.4% reported experiencing so-called "FOMO" (Fear Of Missing Out) due to anxiety about being excluded from the investment success of their peers.

The most popular securities app among university students was Toss Securities, selected by 50.5% of respondents. This was followed by Kiwoom Securities (10.7%), Samsung Securities (6.7%), and KakaoPay Securities (6.7%).

Those who chose Toss Securities cited its intuitive and convenient user experience (53.9%) and easy order placement (44.2%) as the main attractions.

Experts analyzed, "Rather than taking excessive risks, Generation Z investors tend to favor long-term holdings based on familiar and easy-to-use environments. Convenience and the initial user experience are also decisive factors when choosing a securities app."

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