'People on floor 280': Broadcaster Lalal opens up about stock-market blues

YouTuber and broadcaster Lalal has spoken out about the toll of holding SK Hynix shares during a prolonged downturn — and the added strain of dieting.

In a vlog posted to her YouTube channel, Lalal said she thinks she has come down with what she called "bear-market depression." She described it as a syndrome in which she checks her stock portfolio the moment she wakes up each morning, only to feel a wave of despair, and said she sees no sign of it getting better.

She added, "On top of dieting, I genuinely don't know why I have to live like this. I feel terrible — not even a little bit good."

Earlier, Lalal had bought SK Hynix shares at around 2.8 million won ($1,980) per share, posting the message "There are people on floor 280" to signal she was sitting on a loss. The stock closed at 1.645 million won on Friday.

Meanwhile, average pay for SK Hynix employees in the first half of this year exceeded 140 million won.

According to a half-year report filed by SK Hynix on Friday, average pay per employee came to 144 million won, up 27 million won — about 23 percent — from 117 million won in the first half of last year.

A company official said the sharp rise in bonuses reflected long-term performance compensation set in the past, which incorporated the significant run-up in the company's share price during the AI era.

The bonuses include stock options and share-based compensation, which employees receive in the form of treasury shares for a fixed number of units.