FKI's gifticon plan may change the meaning of 'stock' present while broadening investor base

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FKI's gifticon plan may change the meaning of 'stock' present while broadening investor base

Published: 23 Dec. 2025, 14:45

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

The photo shows a gifticon (mobile gift voucher) transaction. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Wondering what to get a family member or a friend for their birthday? Consumers may soon be able to gift stock shares in the form of mobile vouchers, or gifticons, according to the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) on Tuesday.

The “stock gifticons” will allow consumers to purchase stock in companies like Samsung Electronics and SK hynix in the form of mobile coupons, similar to existing digital gift cards. The FKI has submitted the proposal to the Office for Government Policy Coordination.

The FKI said the service could help boost activity in the Korean stock market by offering a more accessible and convenient entry point for individual investors.

Domestic stock trading by individual investors dropped from 1.23 quadrillion won ($830 billion) in the first quarter of 2020 to 122 billion won in the third quarter of 2025. In contrast, overseas stock trading surged nearly sixfold during the same period, from $27.4 billion to $157.5 billion.

The idea of gifting stock in this format has drawn interest from the public.

In a survey of 500 Korean adults under the age of 41 conducted by Mono Research from Dec. 10 to 15, 44.8 percent of respondents said they would consider using the stock gifticon service if it became available. Among respondents with experience in stock investment, that figure rose to 54.7 percent.

When asked for what occasions they would send stock gifticons, 29.6 percent of respondents cited birthdays, followed by holidays like the Lunar New Year holiday, the Chuseok harvest holiday, Christmas and New Year’s at 19.1 percent, educational gifts for children or acquaintances at 18 percent and graduation or academic milestones at 17.4 percent.

A digital board at Hana Bank’s headquarters in central Seoul displays the Kospi on Dec. 23. [YONHAP]

Nearly half of respondents, or 47.8 percent, said the stock gifticon service could help revitalize Korea’s stock market by attracting more young investors.

To facilitate the rollout of the service, the FKI proposed four policy changes.

First, the FKI proposed designating the service as an innovative financial product through the Financial Services Commission, which would allow stock gifticons to be distributed and sold on online shopping platforms. It also suggested setting the annual gift tax exemption threshold at 2.5 million won, the same as the basic capital gains deduction limit for stock transfers.

Third, the FKI also recommended the creation of a public distribution platform to reduce transaction fees and encourage participation by securities firms.

Finally, to promote the use of stock gifticons, the FKI proposed allowing a wider range of payment methods, including credit cards and mobile payment apps. At the same time, it recommended introducing safeguards to prevent misuse — such as leveraged investing or turning credit card purchases into cash — by capping monthly spending at 1 million won.

“If stock gifticons become available for gifting on special occasions, they won’t just broaden the base of individual investors in the Korean stock market,” said Lee Sang-ho, head of the FKI’s economic and research department. “They could also serve as a leading financial service that helps advance K-finance. We need a positive review of this service to support stable asset accumulation for the public and foster a culture of corporate engagement.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HYEON YE-SEUL [[email protected]]