SOUTH KOREA: In Seoul, a new financial revolution is quietly taking shape, led by a generation determined to chart their economic course.

At the forefront of this movement is Choi Hui-ji, a 26-year-old business consultant with a bold ambition — to save 70% of her monthly earnings. Her strategy? Investing half of her savings in overseas exchange-traded funds (ETFs), with her sights set on owning a home, income-generating real estate, and securing a comfortable retirement.

According to what she shared with SCMP, Choi’s approach is rooted in a simple yet powerful insight — the earlier you start saving, the more your money can grow.

“Saving just 100,000 won (US$75) a month in your teens can grow to a much larger amount than saving 200,000 or 300,000 a month in your thirties,” she explains. Her message is clear — consistent, early savings, even in small amounts, can be the key to financial peace of mind.

South Korea’s young investors

Choi is not alone in her quest. Across South Korea, young people are turning to investment as a lifeline, a way to climb the economic ladder in a society where traditional savings alone may not suffice.

Social media is abuzz with stories of young Koreans saving 100 million won in their twenties, inspiring a wave of interest and participation.

Lee Woo-jae, a 29-year-old IT professional, echoes this sentiment. “I realized that simply relying on regular income wouldn’t be enough to afford a home in Seoul. I needed to invest to accumulate wealth,” he says.

Yun, a 28-year-old office worker, agrees: “Everyone is just trying to find a way to grow their small salaries somehow.”

This surge in young investors is not just a passing trend. It’s a noteworthy shift that has caught the attention of economists like Han Young-sup, who sees it as an unexpected yet significant trend. “The large-scale entry of younger people into the asset market is an unexpected and noteworthy trend,” he observes.

The driving force

But what drives this newfound interest in investment? For many, it’s a sense of anxiety about the future, a desire to prepare ...