The KOSPI closed at 7,080.92 on the 23rd, recovering the 7,000 level even as retail investors continued selling shares. Individuals sold a net 1.4396 trillion won that day, extending their selling streak to four sessions, and had sold 18.2205 trillion won on the main board from the 1st through the 22nd of the month. Analysts attribute the selling to profit-taking and efforts by investors burned in July’s roughly 40% market plunge to exit when prices recover. Kiwoom Securities estimates that individual purchases above 7,000 total about 87 trillion won this year, rising to about 111.5 trillion won when ETF-linked financial investment products and derivatives are included. Comedian Kim Soo-yong, who began investing in 1999, also attracted attention after revealing roughly 45 billion won in stock transactions over about six years. His realized gain was about 112 million won, reflecting a short-term trading approach rather than the large fortune some reports had suggested. Separate Shinhan Securities data showed that 80% of individual clients who sold stocks in the first quarter posted gains averaging 8.48 million won, while the 20% who sold at a loss lost an average of 4.96 million won. Realized gains were highest among investors aged 70 and older and averaged more for men than women.