Social media buzz and integrated account services are steering overseas investors toward Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix
Securities Firms Are Racing to Partner With IBKR, Webull, and Futu as Global Capital Access Broadens $77 Trillion.
Posts about Korean stocks are spreading like memes on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). From step-by-step guides on how to purchase Korean stocks directly through Interactive Brokers (IBKR) to breakdowns of SK Hynix’s corporate governance structure, interest from individual foreign investors is rapidly spreading online. A post related to IBKR Korean stock trading published on April 28 on Chinese-speaking X accumulated 193,000 views.
That interest is already translating into actual capital flows. A prime example is the concentrated buying of Samsung Electronics shares through Samsung Securities following the launch of the foreign integrated account service.
The key question now is which firm captures that capital. This is the backdrop to the wave of domestic securities firms partnering with global brokers in a bid to compete.
Samsung Securities has partnered with IBKR, which manages $870.9 billion in client assets. IBKR serves a broad client base ranging from retail investors to professional traders and institutional investors, with average assets per account of approximately $180,000, placing it well above the typical mobile platform in terms of client wealth. The expectation is that the partnership with Samsung Securities, given its existing high-net-worth client base, could attract institutional and high-net-worth investor capital as well.
Webull, which has partnered with Meritz Securities and Kiwoom Securities, operates on a different model. While it surpasses IBKR with 5 million active accounts, it is centered on small-sum, high-frequency individual investors, with average assets per account roughly one-thirtieth of IBKR’s. Its long-term growth trajectory will depend heavily on how much capital flows in through its direct Korean market trading service.
Hana Securities is targeting the Hong Kong market. Having already partnered with Emperor Securities, a traditional full-service broker with roots in Hong Kong dating back to 1993, it plans to formally launch online services with Futu Securities in June. Futu Securities manages $158.4 billion in client assets and 3.37 million active accounts and offers a comprehensive platform covering IPO subscriptions, funds, and AI quant strategies. Hana Securities’ strategy is to progressively expand its client base from Hong Kong locals to large-scale mobile platform users by leveraging Futu’s integrated platform capabilities.
There is good reason for these firms to invest heavily in this effort. Adding up major U.S. financial institutions such as Fidelity ($18 trillion), Vanguard ($12 trillion), and Charles Schwab ($11.9 trillion), along with mobile brokers like Robinhood and Webull, the combined assets under custody across major global platforms amount to approximately $77 trillion. The foreign integrated account is the channel linking this capital to the Korean stock market.
Of course, it is too early to predict near-term profits with any certainty. Under conservative assumptions, Korea Investment and Securities estimated that Samsung Securities’ annual brokerage commission revenue could expand by approximately 5.5% if the integrated account market develops in full. However, analysts also note that profitability may be lower than that of existing domestic brokerage operations, given factors such as IBKR’s average commission of $2.7 per transaction.
Ultimately, the prevailing view is that the real significance of the foreign integrated account lies not in near-term revenue but in structural transformation. In the near term, foreign capital is expected to flow primarily into semiconductor stocks such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, which are drawing worldwide attention. The implication is that the semiconductor stock rally could gain further momentum on the back of foreign investor inflows.
Yoon Yu-dong, analyst at NH Investment and Securities, noted, “Initially, trading will be concentrated in large-cap stocks such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, and will gradually spread to small- and mid-cap stocks,” adding that “streamlined trading procedures will contribute to expanding global liquidity in the domestic stock market and revitalizing the capital market.”
Yoon Young-sil
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