"It's better to study stocks with the energy I use to endure work stress. I'm even betting on this for my retirement."

At 7 p.m. on May 6, at a stock academy in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, the classroom for the first day of a six-month amateur beginner course was filled with a diverse group of students, regardless of age. From university students in their twenties, office workers in suits on their way home from work, to older adults with graying hair, students from all generations listened intently to the instructor. They diligently took notes, writing down every word the instructor wrote on the whiteboard. Lee Seulgi, an office worker in her thirties who paid for the master class course, which lasts a year, on the first day, said, "My uncle studied stocks and made a lot of money," adding, "My goal is to become like him so I can live without being tied down by my job."

On the 6th, Director Youngwoong Kim is delivering a lecture to students of various ages during the opening class at the Securities Academy located in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jiye Lee

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As the KOSPI broke through the 7,800 mark during trading on May 11 and set a new all-time high, stock investment academies that teach investment methods are experiencing unprecedented prosperity. More and more people are willing to pay hundreds of thousands of won for structured education, instead of relying on unregulated chatroom stock tip groups or YouTube lectures.

According to the academy industry, there are at least six offline stock academies currently thriving in the Seoul metropolitan area alone. The size of the market increases even further if you include nationwide online classes. The Yeongdeungpo-gu stock academy visited by this reporter also offered live video classes on site. The number of stock tutors registered on the Soomgo life-service matching platform has exceeded 2,700. The cumulative number of requests for private stock lesson quotes reached 12,469, with the average monthly tuition around 200,000 won. When a request for a private stock lesson quote was made on the platform, in just 10 minutes, 12 professionals with impressive backgrounds—including investment contest winners, former fund managers, and analysts—reached out.

On the 7th, as the KOSPI index surpassed the 7500 mark in early trading, reaching a new high, the current status of the domestic stock market was displayed on the electronic board in the dealing room at the Hana Bank headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

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Stock academies provide education on basic stock chart analysis, essential investment terminology, and trends in various economic indicators such as exchange rates and interest rates, covering the overall securities market. Kim Youngung, director of Warren Securities Edu, who has been running a securities academy in Yeongdeungpo-gu for seven years, said, "After the KOSPI surpassed 5,000, the number of students jumped by 50%. I used to get 5 to 6 calls a day, but recently I've been getting more than 40."

At these academies, students include not only finance professionals in their thirties seeking to improve their investment skills, but also people in their sixties who have accumulated assets through real estate and are now entering the market, and complete beginners trying stocks for the first time. Kim, an educator in his forties, said, "I've seen many people around me take out loans and then suffer losses. There's a lot of misinformation on YouTube, so I decided to enroll to get a proper financial education."

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However, alongside the KOSPI rally, concerns are mounting over the so-called "bit-too" (borrowing to invest) craze. While the KOSPI index has repeatedly hit new highs, the amount of investor margin lending has also risen sharply. According to the Korea Financial Investment Association, the outstanding balance of margin loans—a key indicator of "bit-too"—stood at 35.5072 trillion won as of May 7. This represents an increase of around 30% compared to the low 27 trillion won range at the end of last year. Notably, on April 29, the figure soared to 36.0683 trillion won, surpassing the 36 trillion won mark for the first time ever.

Some analysts attribute this trend to the so-called FOMO (fear of missing out) mentality, which has driven an increase in loans. Yoo, a teacher in his forties encountered at the academy, said, "In my auction study group, everyone was talking about making money from stocks, and I started to feel left behind, so I chose stocks over getting another certification."

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In particular, the expansion of margin investing among younger generations with relatively weak asset bases raises significant concerns about their exposure to risks from future market volatility. Kang Sungjin, professor of economics at Korea University, pointed out, "The current stock market is in an overheated state, with factors such as expectations for the end of the Middle East war overlapping. Since Samsung Electronics and SK hynix account for about 40% of the KOSPI's gains, we need to be wary of the illusion that the entire index is rising."

He continued, "Young people without a capital base should be cautious about borrowing to invest. While the rise in securities academies can be seen as a positive step toward improving understanding of the capital market, seeking short-term profits by attending these academies should be avoided."