There are many skilled investors who generate returns several times their initial investments through their unique strategies. Age or gender does not matter on the path to becoming a successful investor. interviewed these investment experts.
The first two experts we met are college students. Kim Jae-min, 25, president of the finance investment club Wyvern at Kookmin University, and Jang Yi-cheol, 26, president of the investment club Postrade at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, shared their investment secrets.
Profiles of College Student Investors
Jae-min developed an interest in stock investment during high school, starting with seed money of 1 million won, which he saved from his New Year’s gift money. After accumulating his military salary, he grew his initial investment to 20 million won and began serious investing. His early successful picks included Hyundai Motor and KT&G. Jae-min stated, "By consistently buying more shares of these two stocks over 6 to 7 years, I achieved a return of 120% to 150%."Since last year, he has adjusted his portfolio to focus on AI infrastructure, capitalizing on the sector's growth. He identified bottlenecks in semiconductors, power, optical communication, substrates, and capacitors as opportunities for stock price increases during the expansion of AI data centers.
His judgment proved correct. The AI infrastructure stock he focused on was Samsung Electro-Mechanics. Jae-min noted, "I believe Samsung Electro-Mechanics is the only company that holds both PCBs and MLCCs in the AI infrastructure space," adding, "I bought shares in the 500,000 won range and sold them in portions around 1 million and 1.7 million won, achieving a final return of about 160%." He also earned approximately 70% from a leveraged product, LITX, from the optical communication company Lumentum in the U.S.
Currently, Jae-min's managed funds amount to 90 million won (based on evaluation). At one point in the first half of this year, his returns reached 140%, and he is now recording about 90% returns across domestic and international stocks. His current portfolio consists of Samsung Electronics (15%), LS Electric (15%), U.S. fuel cell company Bloom Energy (20%), and a U.S. semiconductor triple-leveraged ETF (SOXL, 20%), with the remaining 30% held in cash.
Another college investment expert, Yi-cheol, began investing after joining his university's investment club. Starting with 10 million won in pocket money, he grew his seed money to 40 million won through military savings and part-time work. Yi-cheol's current managed funds are approximately 70 million won (based on evaluation), with an investment return of about 40% this year. His key investment success was with Hanmi Semiconductor. Yi-cheol explained, "I tried buying hot stocks and popular picks, but my biggest win was buying Hanmi Semiconductor at around 4,000 won and selling it for a 250% return." He has also invested in GNC Energy, Cosmax, and APR, achieving double-digit returns.
Yi-cheol's current portfolio is heavily weighted towards SK Hynix, which comprises about 59.87 million won, or 84.3% of his total investment. He also holds Samsung Electronics (8.0%), Silicon2 (4.1%), and Pemtec Korea (3.6%). However, recent adjustments in the semiconductor sector have negatively impacted his returns, with SK Hynix down 3.16%, Samsung Electronics down 17.75%, Silicon2 down 14.01%, and Pemtec Korea down 2.46%.
Investment Strategies for 2026
Jae-min and Yi-cheol, as club presidents, monitor market trends and discuss investment options with their club members. This year, both clubs have adopted similar investment strategies, focusing on stable returns from market leaders like SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics.Kookmin University's Wyvern operates a portfolio centered on SK Square and Samsung Electronics, actively adjusting stock weights based on market conditions through a rebalancing strategy. They aim to capitalize on large-cap stocks benefiting from the AI boom while identifying undervalued stocks for additional gains.
Their efforts have paid off. SK Square has surpassed a 100% return, and recently added Samsung Electronics is recording about a 10% return. Other successful investments include YesT (40%), Samhwa Aluminum (70%), and Pino (40%). However, not all investments have been successful; they incurred a loss of about 35% on Daesung I-Tech, which they had expected to benefit from defense spending.
Hankuk University’s Postrade has also recorded good returns from investments in Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. However, their strategy of uncovering undervalued companies has not yielded the expected results. Yi-cheol explained that they invested in stocks like Silicon2, Comtech Korea, and Cosmax, which they believed were undervalued, but these stocks subsequently declined, leading to poor returns.
Yi-cheol remarked, "I learned that even if a stock is deemed undervalued, if the market does not recognize its value immediately, the stock price can continue to fall. Ultimately, selecting good companies and timing the market's attention are two different challenges."
Mid-Year Picks: SK Square vs. SK Hynix
As July begins, the stock market is experiencing increased volatility. What stocks are college experts focusing on for the second half of the year?Jae-min and Wyvern have chosen SK Square. As the largest shareholder with a 20.5% stake in SK Hynix, SK Square's stock has surged as the value of its SK Hynix shares has been reassessed in the market. Wyvern believes that SK Square can benefit from both the rise of SK Hynix and a reduction in holding company discounts. Jae-min stated, "Currently, the market reflects only about half of the value of SK Hynix's shares in SK Square's corporate value," adding, "Despite being the largest shareholder of SK Hynix, recent stock adjustments have expanded the holding company discount to about 45%." He continued, "If SK Hynix's ADR listing materializes, the holding company discount could decrease, making SK Square an attractive investment due to the potential for both SK Hynix's stock price increase and discount reduction."
In contrast, Yi-cheol and Postrade have a different perspective. They believe that if SK Square's investment appeal ultimately derives from SK Hynix, it would be more rational to buy SK Hynix directly. Yi-cheol stated, "For SK Square to rise, SK Hynix must also increase. Therefore, it makes more sense to hold SK Hynix directly rather than going through the holding company." He added, "I expect SK Hynix to generate significant net profits next year, and its current valuation is still reasonable."
ETF Investment Approaches: Growth vs. Market Trends
The investment strategies of the two clubs also diverged in their approach to ETFs.Postrade recommends actively using ETFs when the growth potential of an industry is clear. They explain that when the direction of a specific industry is evident but it is difficult to determine which company will benefit the most, ETFs can be more efficient than individual stocks. For example, if the growth potential of the power equipment industry is high but there is uncertainty about which area—such as high-voltage transformers, distribution equipment, or power infrastructure solutions—will benefit the most, investing in related ETFs can capture the overall industry rise.
Wyvern, on the other hand, uses ETFs as a means to bet on the overall market. Instead of selecting individual stocks, they invest in KOSPI 200 leveraged or KOSDAQ 150 leveraged ETFs to capitalize on market rebounds. Jae-min stated, "When I believe there is a buying opportunity at the market's low, I respond aggressively using leveraged products."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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