Psychiatrist Park Jong-seok Opens Up About Losing Fortune to Stock Addiction

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Renowned psychiatrist Park Jong-seok revealed his struggle with stock addiction, which led to the loss of his entire fortune.

On the October 3rd episode of tvN's 'You Quiz on the Block,' episode 321, Park shared his tumultuous journey with the audience.

During the show, Park recounted, "I first started investing in stocks in 2011. As a newly certified psychiatrist, I invested 30 million won in Samsung Electronics. I pooled all my salary and went all-in with 30 million won. Within five months, I saw an 80% profit," he said.

However, this initial success was the beginning of his downfall. He reflected, "I thought, 'I should have borrowed money.' It was beginner's luck, but then I immediately opened a negative balance account," investing a total of 85 million won.

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Despite his efforts, Park continued to suffer losses in the stock market. "While my peers were buying apartments and opening clinics, I felt like the only failure. I thought stocks were my only option, but that's a dangerous mindset. I was swayed by the excitement," he admitted, revealing that his 300 million won investment was halved, leading him to impulsively invest in politically themed stocks.

By the age of 37, Park was overwhelmed with self-doubt. "To avoid being influenced by my friends' successes, I worked in Andong. I had been quite successful, having graduated from Yonsei University College of Medicine and completed a fellowship at Seoul National University Hospital. But at 37, I was unmarried, without a family, and alone in a foreign place, burdened with debt. It was miserable, and I cried every day. Even when I wrote in my journal, it was filled with endless self-blame and hatred for buying those stocks. I even sought psychiatric help, but felt misunderstood by the doctors, which only deepened my depression," he confessed.

Reported by Na-yeon Cho, TenAsia nybluebook@tenasia.co.kr