Overview
South Korea equity market via 110+ large and mid-cap companies. Samsung Electronics dominates at ~22% weight. Highly sensitive to global semiconductor cycles and Korean corporate governance reform progress.
Top Holdings
| Ticker | Holding | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 005930 | Samsung Electronics | 21.8% |
| 000660 | SK Hynix | 7.4% |
| 035420 | NAVER Corporation | 3.8% |
| 051910 | LG Chem | 3.4% |
| 005380 | Hyundai Motor | 3.2% |
| 068270 | Celltrion Inc. | 2.8% |
| 105560 | KB Financial | 2.6% |
| 000270 | Kia Corp. | 2.4% |
| 055550 | Shinhan Financial | 2.2% |
| 028260 | Samsung C&T | 2.0% |
Fund Details
Investment Thesis
South Korea's KOSPI equity market is home to global semiconductor champions Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix that together produce a significant proportion of the world's memory chips — critical components for AI servers, smartphones, and data centers. Samsung's dominant position in DRAM and NAND flash memory makes EWY effectively the highest-conviction memory semiconductor play available in ETF format. Korea's government-led corporate governance reform program is driving record share buybacks and dividend increases similar to Japan's reform story.
Who It's For
Technology sector investors who want semiconductor memory cycle exposure through Korean equity markets, and those with a view on Korean corporate governance reform driving shareholder value. EWY suits investors who want to complement their US semiconductor holdings with the Korean manufacturing dimension of the global chip supply chain. The deep discount in Korean equity valuations relative to global peers creates an attractive margin of safety for patient investors.
10-Year History
| Year | Close | % Chg |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $48.42 | -- |
| 2017 | $64.82 | +33.8% |
| 2018 | $54.42 | -16.1% |
| 2019 | $62.42 | +14.7% |
| 2020 | $76.42 | +22.4% |
| 2021 | $78.42 | +2.6% |
| 2022 | $54.42 | -30.6% |
| 2023 | $62.42 | +14.7% |
| 2024 | $55.42 | -11.2% |
| 2025 | $58.46 | +5.5% |
| Year | Yield |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1.88% |
| 2017 | 1.68% |
| 2018 | 1.92% |
| 2019 | 1.72% |
| 2020 | 1.48% |
| 2021 | 1.28% |
| 2022 | 1.72% |
| 2023 | 1.52% |
| 2024 | 1.68% |
| 2025 | 1.88% |
| Year | AUM | % Chg |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $4B | -- |
| 2017 | $6B | +50.0% |
| 2018 | $4.8B | -20.0% |
| 2019 | $5.4B | +12.5% |
| 2020 | $6.2B | +14.8% |
| 2021 | $6.4B | +3.2% |
| 2022 | $4.4B | -31.2% |
| 2023 | $5.4B | +22.7% |
| 2024 | $4.8B | -11.1% |
| 2025 | $3.4B | -29.2% |
Historical figures are ETFHub estimates modelled from asset-class return patterns and may differ from official fund records. Data as of August 2026.
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