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Korean dramas are known for their cliched romantic whimsy, but away from the screen, young South Korean couples seem to be way more responsible and forward-thinking.

Young people in South Korea are redefining romantic gestures and gift-giving by exchanging blue-chip stocks, instead of the usual gifts.

Per Insider, Shinhan Investment Corp was the first securities brokerage and investment banking company to list “stock gift cards” on the KakaoTalk mobile app’s “Kakao Gift” store around Christmas last year.

Since then, instead of just a coffee or a music voucher, couples have been wooing each other with stock gifts in major companies like Starbucks, or (for the more special occasion) Apple or Tesla, with stock gift cards that go for 25 000 KRW (around R310) and 30 000 KRW (around R370), respectively.

According to local news outlets in South Korea, Tesla was the most-bought stock for gift-giving, followed by Apple, Starbucks, and Netflix.

Image: Shinhan Stockcon Kakao Gift

Here’s more from Insider:

According to statistics seen by Korean media outlet Chosun Ilbo, the Shinhan Investment bank sold more than 20 000 “stock gift cards” since the launch of the program on December 24, 2020.

Shinhan noted that the stocks were most popular among customers in their 20s and 30s.

The clever ads from Shinhan enticed customers to invest at a low cost, with stocks selling for the price of a one-month subscription to Netflix or “the price of an Apple charger”.

It’s a great place for young people to start with their investment portfolios, and as easy as creating a brokerage account and registering the gift card’s code.

Jung Seung-Hyun, 23, a college student, told Insider that he had given his girlfriend four stock gift cards for her birthday in April, with investments in Starbucks, Netflix, Apple, and Tesla:

“I think she appreciated it. It might not be the most traditionally romantic thing to do, but I figure that I’m helping her make a great investment,” Jung said.

Apparently, she thought it was a scam at first but eventually locked in her shares anyway:

“I didn’t get beaten up by her, but she did say that I should increase the amount of cash I put into the gift card next time,” he added.

Cheeky and savvy, then.

28-year-old designer Yang Ga-in says her boyfriend is a “big fan of Elon Musk” and so she wanted to give him a Tesla gift card as an anniversary gift to “add to his stock portfolio”:

“It’s not the only gift I’m giving him — I’m also baking him some cookies,” she said to Insider.

“But he’s a very practical man, and while he may not say it, I think he will appreciate the stocks more than my baked goods. I think it makes sense — because cookies can be eaten in two minutes, but this investment will last much longer.”

These South Korean couples have a lot of gifts to give until they can afford the kind of things that the world’s wealthiest are splurging on.

[source:insider]