South Korea is experiencing a historic stock market rally, attracting millions of novice retail investors. The number of stock owners surged from 6 million in 2019 to over 14.5 million by the end of 2025, with active trading accounts reaching 105.22 million as of May. This boom is primarily driven by record profits at AI chip giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, as well as reforms by President Lee Jae-myung to eliminate the "Korea discount" and improve corporate governance. Lee aims to shift national wealth from overpriced real estate toward productive companies. However, the market remains volatile, evidenced by a recent 9 percent plunge in the Kospi. Experts warn that the rally's sustainability depends heavily on continued AI spending by US tech giants like Microsoft and Apple, as growth is currently concentrated in the tech sector.