“There’s someone on SK hynix’s ₩2.5 million floor” — Studied stocks hard, yet retail investor loses 58 million won; expert calls them out

[Financial News] The story of an individual investor who says they are close to 58 million won in the red after repeated losses—despite diligently studying stocks, checking U.S. markets every morning, and keeping up with financial YouTube videos and corporate earnings reports—has drawn both sympathy and empathy.

The investor at the center of the story is A, who has been investing in stocks for eight years and was recently featured on ‘Kim Gura’s Economic Lab’ on the YouTube channel ‘GreeGura.’ A, an office worker in their 40s, said, “Even though I study hard every day, the stocks I buy go down and the ones I sell go up,” adding that their cumulative losses totaled about 58 million won.
In 2023, A bought Nvidia, then considered a promising stock, at around $200. When its share price fell by about 10% to the $180s, A could not overcome the fear and sold the entire holding at a loss. Nvidia later soared nearly tenfold after a stock split, leaving A with painful regrets.
But similar situations continued to repeat themselves. When an acquaintance was considering buying Samsung Electronics, A stuck to the view that “you’ll never make money with a sluggish large-cap stock.” Samsung Electronics shares subsequently began to rise, and the friend’s bragging badly bruised A’s pride. But that very pride led A to choose SK hynix rather than follow the friend and buy Samsung Electronics.
When A bought in, SK hynix’s target prices were soaring among securities firms on expectations of improved earnings. After a short-term correction brought the stock down to around ₩2.5 million, A bought shares—and became someone stuck on ‘SK hynix’s ₩2.5 million floor.’

After a sharp market decline, A’s account returns fell to around half their previous level, and A has reportedly yet to recover the principal. Broadcaster Kim Gu-ra, who heard the story, called out A’s “pointless pride in the stock market and bravado about taking a different path from everyone else,” saying, “It’s like studying hard for material that won’t be on the exam.”
Kim Jong-hyo, a director at Alpha Economy who appeared on the program alongside Kim Gu-ra, said, “Whether cutting losses or buying, the timing decisions are far too quick and hasty.” He advised, “If there’s a stock you want to buy when making an investment decision, study it thoroughly, but consider whether this is a period when everyone is gripped by fear before you buy.”
[email protected] Kim Hee-sun Reporter