Kim Su-yong clarifies 43 billion won stock trading volume is not total wealth

Comedian Kim Su-yong addressed rumors on his YouTube channel that he possesses 40 billion won in assets, explaining that the 43 billion won figure represents his cumulative transaction volume over 27 years of investing since 1999. He noted that his total investment performance remains at a "slight plus" level.

Comedian Kim Su-yong has addressed rumors that he accumulated 40 billion won in assets through stock investments. He explained that while his cumulative trading volume, combining both buys and sells, is indeed 43 billion won, this does not mean his actual holdings are worth that much. Instead, he revealed a history of trial and error spanning 27 years, including losing 18 million won out of an initial 20 million won investment and suffering losses when a stock recommended by an acquaintance was delisted.

On the 22nd, a video titled "I will reveal all my stock know-how" was released on the YouTube channel Sixth Sense Kim Soo-yong. Kim Su-yong, who has recently drawn attention due to stories regarding his stock investments, mentioned the interest directed toward him. "I received many messages calling me a 'God of Stocks.' People asked how I am so good at it," he said, adding, "I was surprised myself. Looking at the title, people think I am managing 43 billion won."

Kim explained that the figure of 43 billion won is not entirely incorrect. However, he emphasized that it is merely the cumulative amount of buying and selling transactions, which is a completely different concept from personal wealth. "It is true that the buy and sell transaction volume is 43 billion won. But that does not mean my assets are 43 billion won," he stressed.

He provided an example where buying stocks 400 times with 100 million won could result in a cumulative transaction volume of 40 billion won. He explained that because transaction amounts continue to stack even when buying and selling multiple times with the same capital, actual assets cannot be judged by cumulative volume alone. "It does not mean I have 40 billion won. I wish I had 43 billion won too," Kim said, correcting the misunderstanding surrounding his wealth.

He first entered the stock market in 1999. He became interested in stocks after reading an article about actor Park Joong-hoon making large profits by investing in a company owned by an acquaintance. Kim sought out the stock Park Joong-hoon had invested in and put in 20 million won, but contrary to his expectations, the stock price began to fall immediately after his purchase. When his investment was halved within a month, instead of making a calm judgment, he shifted his direction toward aiming for even larger profits.

"I lost my reason and only bought low-priced stocks worth 200 to 300 won. I did that because if they rose once, the gains would be enormous," Kim recalled. However, the choice to expect a rebound through low-priced stocks ultimately led to heavy losses. He confessed that he lost 90% of his investment within a year, with 18 million won of his 20 million won vanishing. He personally experienced how the greed to make large sums of money in a short period can lead to dangerous results.

After stepping away from stocks for a while, Kim resumed investing around 2007. He invested 30 million won of his savings, but he could not avoid losses this time either. He suffered another major blow when a stock he invested in based on a recommendation from an acquaintance was delisted. As his experiences of investing by trusting information from those around him and the judgments of others repeatedly turned into failures, he realized the importance of establishing his own investment criteria.

A turning point came in 2011 when he began hosting a securities broadcast. Kim stated that he learned chart analysis methods and how to examine companies from the experts appearing on the program. "From then on, I began to judge for myself without asking others," he explained. He changed his attitude from simply following someone's recommendation to directly analyzing information and making investment decisions.

However, this did not mean he always achieved large profits in subsequent investments. While Kim stated that he has made up for past losses over the last six years, he said that if the total investment performance over the approximately 27 years since 1999 is summed up, it is at a "slight plus" level. He maintained that evaluations claiming he earned hundreds of millions of won or possesses extraordinary stock investment abilities are exaggerated compared to reality. He explained that rather than boasting about his long investment career, he wanted to correct the rumors about having made large sums of money.

The most dramatic case he experienced was a single stock where the loss rate soared to 50% before ultimately recording a 100% return. After purchasing a highly volatile stock, the price continued to drop and losses snowballed, but one day it suddenly hit the upper limit and surged consecutively. Although he eventually exited with a profit, Kim did not frame this as a success story. "I eventually exited with a profit, but it was a very dangerous thing to do. I never touch those kinds of stocks again," he emphasized.

He also spoke candidly about the psychological burden experienced through stock investing. "When you do stocks, you find yourself constantly checking your phone even while working. On days when the stock price falls, I don't even want to work," Kim said, noting that excessive immersion in stocks can shake one's daily life. He meant that controlling the time and emotions poured into investing is as important as making a profit.

He also cautioned against jumping into the market impulsively after hearing the investment success stories of others. "When someone boasts about making money through stocks, you should just think, 'That's nice.' You shouldn't jump in because you feel envious and decide you must do it too," he advised. He suggested that if one invests without sufficient judgment due to being stimulated by someone else's profits, it is easy to forget one's own investment purpose and risk tolerance.

The conclusion Kim reached was unexpectedly modest. He recommended long-term investing with surplus funds and said it is better not to do stocks at all rather than obsessing over daily stock prices through short-term trading. This is because repeated short-term trading can lead to mental exhaustion. "I think money earned through sweating is more precious," he added, "I wanted to clarify that I am not a big player."

While the figure of 43 billion won makes him look like an investment expert who has accumulated massive wealth, the story Kim revealed was far from that. Cumulative transaction volume is different from actual assets, and a long investment career does not necessarily lead to enormous profits. From the failure of losing 90% of 20 million won to the experience of narrowly securing a profit from a dangerous surging stock, his confession leaves the lesson that one's own principles and emotional control are more important than the success stories of others in the stock market.

Read the original (Korean)