Investor bankrupt after 22 billion KRW loss in SK Hynix leveraged ETF

An anonymous Korean investor, identified only as A, posted on the Blind community that a leveraged exchange‑traded fund tied to SK Hynix caused a loss of about 22.4 billion won (78.7% of the investment). The loss wiped out savings accumulated over 40 years, forced the sale of the investor’s home and led to a declaration of personal bankruptcy. The post included a screenshot of a brokerage account showing the KODEX SK Hynix Single‑Stock Leveraged ETF position, but the authenticity of the account could not be verified and the post was later removed.

The incident sparked public debate about the risks of single‑stock leveraged ETFs, with some netizens questioning the credibility of the claim and others noting similar large losses elsewhere. In response, the People Power Party’s parliamentary leader called for a national‑level investigation into the introduction of single‑stock leveraged ETFs and the recent market volatility, urging the National Assembly to examine the causes and accountability for the market turmoil.