Due to the increasing interest in big technology stocks and leveraged funds, South Korean retail investors hold over $100 billion in US stocks for the first time. According to data from the Korea Securities Depository, as of November 7th, retail traders collectively hold US stocks worth $101.4 billion, a sharp increase of 64% compared to the previous year. The decline of the South Korean Kospi index this year has made it one of the worst performing stock indices globally, prompting more individual traders to directly invest in US stocks in search of higher returns. Meanwhile, despite efforts by the authorities to revitalize the local stock market by strengthening corporate governance, they have net sold benchmark index stocks worth 4.4 trillion Korean won ($3.2 billion) so far in 2024. Assets in volatile industries such as cryptos and tech stocks are the top choice for South Korean retail investors. Tesla (TSLA.O) is the most favored investment, with retail investors collectively holding $16.7 billion in the company's stock as of last week. Traders also hold $13.8 billion in Nvidia (NVDA.O), $4.6 billion in Apple (AAPL.O), and $36 billion in Microsoft (MSFT.O). Leveraged exchange-traded funds tracking US tech stocks are also gaining popularity.