How to invest in South Korea using ETFs
How do I invest in South Korean stocks?
The easiest way to invest in the whole South Korean stock market is to invest in a broad market index. This can be done at low cost by using ETFs.
On the South Korean stock market you'll find 3 indices which are tracked by ETFs.
Alternatively, you can invest in indices on the Asia-Pacific region and Emerging Markets.
Performance of South Korean stocks (MSCI Korea 20/35)
Indices in comparison
The best indices for ETFs on South Korea
For an investment in the South Korean stock market, there are 3 indices available which are tracked by 5 ETFs. On the FTSE Korea 30/18 Capped index there is 1 ETF. On the MSCI Korea 20/35 index there are 3 ETFs. On the MSCI Korea 20/35 Custom index there is 1 ETF. The total expense ratio (TER) of ETFs on these indices is between 0,09% p.a. and 0,65% p.a..
| Index | Investment focus | Number of ETFs | Number of constituents | Short description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
FTSE Korea 30/18 Capped | Zuid-Korea | 1 ETF | 152 (30-01-2026) | The FTSE Korea 30/18 Capped index tracks the largest stocks from South Korea. The largest company in the index is limited to a maximum of 30 percent of the index capitalization, all other index components to a maximum of 18 percent. Index factsheet |
MSCI Korea 20/35 | Zuid-Korea | 3 ETFs | 81 (30-01-2026) | The MSCI Korea 20/35 index tracks large and mid cap Korean stocks. The weight of the largest constituent is constrained to 35% and the weights of all other constituents are constrained to a maximum of 20%. Index factsheet |
MSCI Korea 20/35 Custom | Zuid-Korea | 1 ETF | 81 (30-01-2026) | The MSCI Korea 20/35 Custom index tracks large and mid cap Korean stocks. The weight of the largest constituent is constrained to 35% and the weights of all other constituents are constrained to a maximum of 20%. A buffer of 10% is applied on these limits at each index rebalancing. Index factsheet |
| ETF ISIN | Fund size in m EUR | TER in % | Use of profits | Fund domicile | Replication method | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin FTSE Korea UCITS ETF IE00BHZRR030 | 4.578 | 0,09% p.a. | Accumulerend | Ierland | Volledige replicatie | |
| iShares MSCI Korea UCITS ETF (Dist)IE00B0M63391 | 1.075 | 0,65% p.a. | Distribueren | Ierland | Volledige replicatie | |
| iShares MSCI Korea UCITS ETF (Acc)IE00B5W4TY14 | 784 | 0,65% p.a. | Accumulerend | Ierland | Volledige replicatie | |
| Xtrackers MSCI Korea UCITS ETF 1CLU0292100046 | 595 | 0,45% p.a. | Accumulerend | Luxemburg | Volledige replicatie | |
| HSBC MSCI Korea Capped UCITS ETF USDIE00B3Z0X395 | 405 | 0,50% p.a. | Distribueren | Ierland | Volledige replicatie |
| Index | 1 month in % | 3 months in % | 6 months in % | 1 year in % | 3 years in % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSCI Korea 20/35 | 5,63% | -10,62% | 20,89% | 159,99% | 188,50% | |
| MSCI Korea 20/35 Custom | 7,02% | -9,53% | 22,62% | 163,70% | 192,09% | |
| FTSE Korea 30/18 Capped | 7,28% | -8,25% | 26,64% | 168,55% | 203,24% |
| Index | 2026 in % | 2025 in % | 2024 in % | 2023 in % | 2022 in % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSCI Korea 20/35 | 86,43% | 76,27% | -17,48% | 15,59% | -24,03% | |
| MSCI Korea 20/35 Custom | 89,72% | 75,85% | -18,11% | 17,84% | -24,50% | |
| FTSE Korea 30/18 Capped | 96,15% | 72,46% | -17,16% | 18,89% | -24,31% |
Source: justETF.com; As of 31-08-2026; Calculations in EUR based on the largest ETF of the respective index.
The best South Korea ETFs
by 1 year return
| 1 | Franklin FTSE Korea UCITS ETF | 168,55% |
| 2 | HSBC MSCI Korea Capped UCITS ETF USD | 164,66% |
| 3 | Xtrackers MSCI Korea UCITS ETF 1C | 163,70% |
The cheapest South Korea ETFs
by total expense ratio (TER)
| 1 | Franklin FTSE Korea UCITS ETF | 0,09% p.a. |
| 2 | Xtrackers MSCI Korea UCITS ETF 1C | 0,45% p.a. |
| 3 | HSBC MSCI Korea Capped UCITS ETF USD | 0,50% p.a. |
Asia-Pacific indices with a large share of South Korea
Besides South Korea ETFs, you may consider ETFs on the Asia-Pacific region. In total, you can invest in 5 Asia-Pacific indices, which are tracked by 12 ETFs. The total expense ratio (TER) of ETFs on Asia-Pacific is between 0,15% p.a. and 0,74% p.a..
| Index | Investment focus | Number of ETFs | Number of constituents | Short description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTSE Developed Asia Pacific ex Japan | Azië-Pacific South Korea: 45.58% (27/02/2026) | 2 ETFs | 370 (30-01-2026) | The FTSE Developed Asia Pacific ex Japan index tracks large and mid cap stocks from developed countries in the Asia Pacific region excluding Japan. Index factsheet |
| MSCI AC Asia Pacific ex Japan | Azië-Pacific South Korea: 17.95% (27/02/2026) | 1 ETF | 1.048 (31-08-2026) | The MSCI AC Asia Pacific ex Japan index tracks equity markets of the emerging and developed countries of the Asia and Pacific region, excluding Japan. Index factsheet |
| MSCI AC Asia ex Japan | Azië-Pacific South Korea: 20.63% (27/02/2026) | 1 ETF | 996 (31-08-2026) | The MSCI AC Asia ex Japan index tracks equity markets of the emerging and developed countries of the Asia region, excluding Japan. Index factsheet |
| MSCI AC Far East ex Japan | Azië-Pacific South Korea: 24.17% (27/02/2026) | 4 ETFs | 831 (31-08-2026) | The MSCI AC Far East ex Japan index tracks equity markets of the emerging and developed countries of the East Asian region, excluding Japan. Index factsheet |
| MSCI Emerging Markets Asia | Azië-Pacific South Korea: 22.40% (27/02/2026) | 4 ETFs | 955 (31-08-2026) | The MSCI Emerging Markets Asia index tracks large and mid cap companies from Asian emerging markets. Index factsheet |
| ETF ISIN | Fund size in m EUR | TER in % | Use of profits | Fund domicile | Replication method | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShares MSCI EM Asia UCITS ETF (Acc)IE00B5L8K969 | 7.598 | 0,20% p.a. | Accumulerend | Ierland | Volledige replicatie | |
| Vanguard FTSE Developed Asia Pacific ex Japan UCITS ETF DistributingIE00B9F5YL18 | 1.889 | 0,15% p.a. | Distribueren | Ierland | Volledige replicatie | |
| Amundi MSCI Emerging Markets Asia UCITS ETF EUR (C)LU1681044480 | 1.735 | 0,20% p.a. | Accumulerend | Luxemburg | Niet-gefinancierde swap | |
| iShares MSCI AC Far East ex-Japan UCITS ETFIE00B0M63730 | 1.704 | 0,74% p.a. | Distribueren | Ierland | Volledige replicatie | |
| State Street SPDR MSCI EM Asia UCITS ETF USDIE00B466KX20 | 1.423 | 0,55% p.a. | Accumulerend | Ierland | Volledige replicatie | |
| Vanguard FTSE Developed Asia Pacific ex Japan UCITS ETF (USD) AccumulatingIE00BK5BQZ41 | 980 | 0,15% p.a. | Accumulerend | Ierland | Volledige replicatie | |
| UBS MSCI AC Asia ex Japan SF UCITS ETF USD accIE00B7WK2W23 | 928 | 0,23% p.a. | Accumulerend | Ierland | Swap-gebaseerd | |
| Amundi MSCI Emerging Markets Asia UCITS ETF USDLU1681044563 | 816 | 0,20% p.a. | Accumulerend | Luxemburg | Niet-gefinancierde swap | |
| Amundi MSCI AC Asia Pacific Ex Japan UCITS ETF AccLU1900068328 | 771 | 0,60% p.a. | Accumulerend | Luxemburg | Niet-gefinancierde swap | |
| HSBC MSCI AC Far East ex Japan UCITS ETF USDIE00BBQ2W338 | 413 | 0,45% p.a. | Accumulerend | Ierland | Volledige replicatie | |
| iShares MSCI AC Far East ex-Japan UCITS ETF USD (Acc)IE00BKPX3K41 | 101 | 0,74% p.a. | Accumulerend | Ierland | Volledige replicatie | |
| HSBC MSCI AC Far East ex Japan UCITS ETF USD (Dist)IE00022VXYM7 | 32 | 0,45% p.a. | Distribueren | Ierland | Volledige replicatie |
| Index | 1 month in % | 3 months in % | 6 months in % | 1 year in % | 3 years in % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSCI AC Asia Pacific ex Japan | 2,15% | -0,40% | 10,50% | 37,27% | 72,24% | |
| MSCI AC Asia ex Japan | 2,28% | -0,99% | 11,98% | 41,04% | 80,58% | |
| MSCI Emerging Markets Asia | 2,36% | -1,73% | 12,29% | 43,19% | 83,20% | |
| MSCI AC Far East ex Japan | 2,07% | -2,32% | 13,56% | 49,29% | 95,47% | |
| FTSE Developed Asia Pacific ex Japan | 3,55% | -3,55% | 13,62% | 62,91% | 94,40% |
| Index | 2026 in % | 2025 in % | 2024 in % | 2023 in % | 2022 in % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSCI AC Asia Pacific ex Japan | 25,71% | 13,84% | 16,92% | 2,96% | -12,62% | |
| MSCI AC Asia ex Japan | 27,65% | 16,79% | 18,97% | 2,12% | -14,88% | |
| MSCI Emerging Markets Asia | 28,38% | 17,07% | 19,10% | 3,84% | -15,09% | |
| MSCI AC Far East ex Japan | 33,52% | 23,73% | 18,71% | -1,28% | -15,89% | |
| FTSE Developed Asia Pacific ex Japan | 44,99% | 24,57% | 0,35% | 7,11% | -7,22% |
Source: justETF.com; As of 31-08-2026; Calculations in EUR based on the largest ETF of the respective index.
Emerging markets indices with a large share of South Korea
Besides South Korea ETFs you may consider emerging markets ETFs. In total, you can invest in 1 emerging markets index, which is tracked by 23 ETFs. The total expense ratio (TER) of ETFs on emerging markets is between 0,09% p.a. and 0,55% p.a..
| Index | Investment focus | Number of ETFs | Number of constituents | Short description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSCI Emerging Markets | Opkomende markten South Korea: 18.08% (27/02/2026) | 23 ETFs | 1.178 (31-08-2026) | The MSCI Emerging Markets index tracks stocks from emerging markets worldwide. Index factsheet |
| ETF ISIN | Fund size in m EUR | TER in % | Use of profits | Fund domicile | Replication method | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets UCITS ETF 1CIE00BTJRMP35 | 12.492 | 0,18% p.a. | Accumulerend | Ierland | Geoptimaliseerde sampling | |
| iShares MSCI EM UCITS ETF (Acc)IE00B4L5YC18 | 9.189 | 0,18% p.a. | Accumulerend | Ierland | Volledige replicatie | |
| iShares MSCI EM UCITS ETF (Dist)IE00B0M63177 | 9.056 | 0,18% p.a. | Distribueren | Ierland | Volledige replicatie | |
| UBS Core MSCI EM UCITS ETF USD accLU0950674175 | 8.164 | 0,15% p.a. | Accumulerend | Luxemburg | Geoptimaliseerde sampling | |
| Amundi Core MSCI Emerging Markets Swap UCITS ETF DistLU2573966905 | 5.485 | 0,14% p.a. | Distribueren | Luxemburg | Niet-gefinancierde swap | |
| Amundi Core MSCI Emerging Markets Swap UCITS ETF AccLU2573967036 | 5.311 | 0,14% p.a. | Accumulerend | Luxemburg | Niet-gefinancierde swap | |
| Amundi Core MSCI Emerging Markets UCITS ETF AccLU1437017350 | 4.305 | 0,18% p.a. | Accumulerend | Luxemburg | Volledige replicatie | |
| Amundi MSCI Emerging Markets Swap UCITS ETF EUR AccLU1681045370 | 4.272 | 0,20% p.a. | Accumulerend | Luxemburg | Niet-gefinancierde swap | |
| HSBC MSCI Emerging Markets UCITS ETF USDIE00B5SSQT16 | 3.767 | 0,15% p.a. | Distribueren | Ierland | Volledige replicatie | |
| UBS Core MSCI EM UCITS ETF USD disLU0480132876 | 2.856 | 0,15% p.a. | Distribueren | Luxemburg | Geoptimaliseerde sampling | |
| State Street SPDR MSCI Emerging Markets UCITS ETF USDIE00B469F816 | 1.987 | 0,18% p.a. | Accumulerend | Ierland | Volledige replicatie | |
| HSBC MSCI Emerging Markets UCITS ETF USD (Acc)IE000KCS7J59 | 1.586 | 0,15% p.a. | Accumulerend | Ierland | Volledige replicatie | |
| Amundi MSCI Emerging Markets Swap UCITS ETF USD AccLU1681045453 | 1.480 | 0,20% p.a. | Accumulerend | Luxemburg | Niet-gefinancierde swap | |
| Amundi Core MSCI Emerging Markets UCITS ETF EUR DistLU1737652583 | 1.141 | 0,18% p.a. | Distribueren | Luxemburg | Volledige replicatie | |
| Amundi MSCI Emerging Markets Swap II UCITS ETF EUR AccFR0010429068 | 924 | 0,55% p.a. | Accumulerend | Frankrijk | Niet-gefinancierde swap | |
| Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets Swap UCITS ETF 1CLU0292107645 | 895 | 0,49% p.a. | Accumulerend | Luxemburg | Niet-gefinancierde swap | |
| Invesco MSCI Emerging Markets UCITS ETF IE00B3DWVS88 | 439 | 0,09% p.a. | Accumulerend | Ierland | Niet-gefinancierde swap | |
| iShares MSCI EM Swap UCITS ETF USD (Acc)IE000S3N6R34 | 230 | 0,14% p.a. | Accumulerend | Ierland | Niet-gefinancierde swap | |
| UBS MSCI EM SF UCITS ETF USD accIE00B3Z3FS74 | 158 | 0,14% p.a. | Accumulerend | Ierland | Swap-gebaseerd | |
| Amundi Core MSCI Emerging Markets UCITS ETF USD DistLU2277591868 | 91 | 0,18% p.a. | Distribueren | Luxemburg | Volledige replicatie | |
| BNP Paribas Easy MSCI Emerging UCITS ETF AccLU3086273813 | 65 | 0,09% p.a. | Accumulerend | Luxemburg | Niet-gefinancierde swap | |
| Amundi MSCI Emerging Markets Swap II UCITS ETF USD AccFR0010435297 | 45 | 0,55% p.a. | Accumulerend | Frankrijk | Niet-gefinancierde swap | |
| BNP Paribas Easy MSCI Emerging UCITS ETF EUR AccLU3257630437 | 4 | 0,09% p.a. | Accumulerend | Luxemburg | Niet-gefinancierde swap |
| Index | 1 month in % | 3 months in % | 6 months in % | 1 year in % | 3 years in % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSCI Emerging Markets | 2,37% | -0,83% | 9,89% | 39,75% | 75,29% |
| Index | 2026 in % | 2025 in % | 2024 in % | 2023 in % | 2022 in % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSCI Emerging Markets | 26,21% | 18,22% | 14,36% | 5,75% | -15,28% |
Source: justETF.com; As of 31-08-2026; Calculations in EUR based on the largest ETF of the respective index.
