The sharp decline in Korean stocks made it difficult to stop risk appetite, and retail investors switched to high-interest structured products
Comparative news, according to Kim Sook's report, an unprecedented stock market crash is driving retail investors in South Korea to switch to complex structured products. This group of risk-loving investors is still constantly looking for ways to improve returns. Equity Linked Securities (ELS), which have annualized interest rates of up to 40% to 50%, are once again popular with retail investors. In July, ELS sales rose to a three-year high, with mainly products linked to Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. Meanwhile, regulators are working to curb retail fervent demand for single-stock leveraged open-ended index funds. This type of product is thought to have amplified market fluctuations during the 22% drop in the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index last month. This shows that one of the largest market crashes in recent memory did little to weaken retail investors' risk appetite; it only changed the types of products they were chasing. The recent market correction seems to have created an attractive entry point for ELS products. This type of product can provide investors with coupon interest as long as the linked stock or index remains within a pre-set range. However, once the market falls sharply, such products may also face huge downside risks.


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