JYP's Park Jin-young says 'desire to get rich quick' is the problem with stock investment

Park Jin-young, the head of entertainment agency JYP Entertainment, said the problem with Christians investing in stocks is not the act itself but the "desire to get rich quick."

The remarks came in a video titled "Should Christians invest in stocks?" posted Oct. 26 on the YouTube channel of Cheotyeolmaedeur, a Protestant group Park leads.

Responding to the question of whether Christians should invest in stocks, Park said that once a Christian truly understands the Bible, "there is only one commandment we must keep — 'love one another.' We should fellowship diligently and evangelize. Whatever helps that, we do; whatever hinders it, we don't." Park added that stock investing does not fall into the latter category. "Does investing in stocks get in the way? No. Investing in stocks is not an evil act in the eyes of the world," Park said.

However, Park drew a distinction. "The problem is the desire to get rich quickly," Park said. "If you have that desire, you will be rebuked for it — but investing in stocks itself is fine."

Park also said that from the moment a person sincerely learns, understands and tries to live by God's word, "God simply takes care of your financial situation and your place in this world. You just need to live normally, naturally and diligently," Park said.

Park has previously spoken positively about JYP Entertainment's long-term growth outlook. In a November 2023 live broadcast on the YouTube channel "Shuka World," run by financial content creator Shuka, Park said, "Now is the time. If I had any spare money, I would absolutely buy shares in my own company," adding that the bet was on "three or five years from now, not short-term share price swings." As of Friday, JYP's share price stood at 40,900 won, down 55.7 percent from 92,400 won on Nov. 20, 2023.

Meanwhile, Cheotyeolmaedeur has drawn heresy allegations within Protestant circles and is currently under review by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Korea (Tonghap) as a subject of heresy research. The findings are expected to be reported at the assembly's regular general meeting in September 2027.