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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)
1 month: -4.78%
1 year: 63.48%
3 years: 54.92%
5 years: 15.14%
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 6 ETFs. On the FTSE Korea 30/18 Capped index there is 1 ETF. On the MSCI Korea 20/35 index there are 4 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 | South Korea | 1 ETF | 161 (31/03/2022) | 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 | South Korea | 4 ETFs | 111 (30/11/2022) | 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 | South Korea | 1 ETF | 111 (30/11/2022) | 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 GBP | TER in % | Use of profits | Fund domicile | Replication method | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin FTSE Korea UCITS ETFIE00BHZRR030 | 1,133 | 0.09% p.a. | Accumulating | Ireland | Full replication | |
| HSBC MSCI Korea Capped UCITS ETF USDIE00B3Z0X395 | 396 | 0.50% p.a. | Distributing | Ireland | Full replication | |
| iShares MSCI Korea UCITS ETF (Dist)IE00B0M63391 | 385 | 0.65% p.a. | Distributing | Ireland | Full replication | |
| iShares MSCI Korea UCITS ETF (Acc)IE00B5W4TY14 | 227 | 0.65% p.a. | Accumulating | Ireland | Full replication | |
| Amundi MSCI Korea UCITS ETF AccLU1900066975 | 178 | 0.45% p.a. | Accumulating | Luxembourg | Unfunded swap | |
| Xtrackers MSCI Korea UCITS ETF 1C 1CLU0292100046 | 60 | 0.45% p.a. | Accumulating | Luxembourg | Full replication |
| Index | 1 month in % | 3 months in % | 6 months in % | 1 year in % | 3 years in % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTSE Korea 30/18 Capped | -7.32% | 25.24% | 49.12% | 54.56% | 44.28% | |
| MSCI Korea 20/35 Custom | -7.63% | 26.85% | 52.38% | 57.15% | 42.95% | |
| MSCI Korea 20/35 | -7.51% | 27.18% | 52.78% | 57.38% | 43.47% |
| Index | 2025 in % | 2024 in % | 2023 in % | 2022 in % | 2021 in % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTSE Korea 30/18 Capped | 66.03% | -20.95% | 16.48% | -20.08% | -5.59% | |
| MSCI Korea 20/35 | 68.03% | -21.90% | 15.67% | -20.72% | -7.43% | |
| MSCI Korea 20/35 Custom | 69.86% | -21.87% | 15.46% | -20.31% | -7.32% |
Source: justETF.com; As of 30/11/2025; Calculations in GBP based on the largest ETF of the respective index.
The best South Korea ETFs
by 1 year return
| 1 | iShares MSCI Korea UCITS ETF (Acc) | 57.40% |
| 2 | HSBC MSCI Korea Capped UCITS ETF USD | 57.38% |
| 3 | iShares MSCI Korea UCITS ETF (Dist) | 57.37% |
The cheapest South Korea ETFs
by total expense ratio (TER)
| 1 | Franklin FTSE Korea UCITS ETF | 0.09% p.a. |
| 2 | Amundi MSCI Korea UCITS ETF Acc | 0.45% p.a. |
| 3 | Xtrackers MSCI Korea UCITS ETF 1C 1C | 0.45% p.a. |
Alternative investment opportunities
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 11 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 | Asia Pacific South Korea: 28.19% (30/11/2022) | 2 ETFs | 399 (31/08/2023) | 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 | Asia Pacific South Korea: 11.25% (30/11/2022) | 1 ETF | 1,060 (28/11/2025) | 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 | Asia Pacific South Korea: 13.61% (30/11/2022) | 2 ETFs | 1,009 (28/11/2025) | 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 | Asia Pacific South Korea: 16.39% (30/11/2022) | 3 ETFs | 846 (28/11/2025) | 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 | Asia Pacific South Korea: 15.31% (30/11/2022) | 3 ETFs | 966 (28/11/2025) | The MSCI Emerging Markets Asia index tracks large and mid cap companies from Asian emerging markets. Index factsheet |
| ETF ISIN | Fund size in m GBP | TER in % | Use of profits | Fund domicile | Replication method | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShares MSCI EM Asia UCITS ETF (Acc)IE00B5L8K969 | 3,813 | 0.20% p.a. | Accumulating | Ireland | Full replication | |
| Vanguard FTSE Developed Asia Pacific ex Japan UCITS ETF DistributingIE00B9F5YL18 | 1,115 | 0.15% p.a. | Distributing | Ireland | Full replication | |
| SPDR MSCI EM Asia UCITS ETFIE00B466KX20 | 933 | 0.55% p.a. | Accumulating | Ireland | Full replication | |
| iShares MSCI AC Far East ex-Japan UCITS ETFIE00B0M63730 | 826 | 0.74% p.a. | Distributing | Ireland | Full replication | |
| UBS MSCI AC Asia ex Japan SF UCITS ETF USD accIE00B7WK2W23 | 568 | 0.23% p.a. | Accumulating | Ireland | Swap-based | |
| Amundi MSCI Emerging Markets Asia UCITS ETF USDLU1681044563 | 565 | 0.20% p.a. | Accumulating | Luxembourg | Unfunded swap | |
| Amundi MSCI AC Asia Pacific Ex Japan UCITS ETF AccLU1900068328 | 453 | 0.60% p.a. | Accumulating | Luxembourg | Unfunded swap | |
| Vanguard FTSE Developed Asia Pacific ex Japan UCITS ETF (USD) AccumulatingIE00BK5BQZ41 | 354 | 0.15% p.a. | Accumulating | Ireland | Full replication | |
| Amundi MSCI AC Asia Ex Japan UCITS ETF AccLU1900068161 | 285 | 0.50% p.a. | Accumulating | Luxembourg | Unfunded swap | |
| HSBC MSCI AC Far East ex Japan UCITS ETF USDIE00BBQ2W338 | 245 | 0.45% p.a. | Accumulating | Ireland | Full replication | |
| HSBC MSCI AC Far East ex Japan UCITS ETF USD (Dist)IE00022VXYM7 | 17 | 0.45% p.a. | Distributing | Ireland | Full replication |
| Index | 1 month in % | 3 months in % | 6 months in % | 1 year in % | 3 years in % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSCI AC Asia Pacific ex Japan | -4.47% | 8.41% | 18.59% | 18.30% | 31.00% | |
| FTSE Developed Asia Pacific ex Japan | -3.90% | 8.26% | 21.58% | 20.08% | 25.39% | |
| MSCI AC Asia ex Japan | -4.23% | 10.35% | 21.59% | 23.70% | 37.87% | |
| MSCI Emerging Markets Asia | -4.70% | 10.99% | 22.34% | 23.85% | 39.57% | |
| MSCI AC Far East ex Japan | -5.07% | 10.78% | 26.42% | 31.22% | 41.57% |
| Index | 2025 in % | 2024 in % | 2023 in % | 2022 in % | 2021 in % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSCI AC Asia Pacific ex Japan | 18.24% | 11.54% | 0.89% | -7.77% | -3.00% | |
| MSCI AC Asia ex Japan | 22.82% | 13.51% | 0.06% | -10.16% | -3.78% | |
| MSCI Emerging Markets Asia | 24.29% | 13.63% | 1.75% | -10.37% | -5.16% | |
| FTSE Developed Asia Pacific ex Japan | 26.07% | -4.28% | 5.04% | -2.11% | 2.30% | |
| MSCI AC Far East ex Japan | 29.29% | 13.27% | -3.25% | -11.22% | -9.10% |
Source: justETF.com; As of 30/11/2025; Calculations in GBP 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 18 ETFs. The total expense ratio (TER) of ETFs on emerging markets is between 0.14% p.a. and 0.55% p.a..
| Index | Investment focus | Number of ETFs | Number of constituents | Short description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSCI Emerging Markets | Emerging Markets South Korea: 11.95% (30/11/2022) | 18 ETFs | 1,196 (28/11/2025) | The MSCI Emerging Markets index tracks stocks from emerging markets worldwide. Index factsheet |
| ETF ISIN | Fund size in m GBP | TER in % | Use of profits | Fund domicile | Replication method | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets UCITS ETF 1CIE00BTJRMP35 | 7,279 | 0.18% p.a. | Accumulating | Ireland | Optimized sampling | |
| iShares MSCI EM UCITS ETF (Dist)IE00B0M63177 | 5,368 | 0.18% p.a. | Distributing | Ireland | Full replication | |
| iShares MSCI EM UCITS ETF (Acc)IE00B4L5YC18 | 4,601 | 0.18% p.a. | Accumulating | Ireland | Full replication | |
| Amundi Core MSCI Emerging Markets Swap UCITS ETF DistLU2573966905 | 2,977 | 0.14% p.a. | Distributing | Luxembourg | Unfunded swap | |
| Amundi Core MSCI Emerging Markets UCITS ETF AccLU1437017350 | 2,787 | 0.18% p.a. | Accumulating | Luxembourg | Full replication | |
| Amundi Core MSCI Emerging Markets Swap UCITS ETF AccLU2573967036 | 2,695 | 0.14% p.a. | Accumulating | Luxembourg | Unfunded swap | |
| HSBC MSCI Emerging Markets UCITS ETF USDIE00B5SSQT16 | 2,450 | 0.15% p.a. | Distributing | Ireland | Full replication | |
| UBS Core MSCI EM UCITS ETF USD disLU0480132876 | 1,681 | 0.15% p.a. | Distributing | Luxembourg | Optimized sampling | |
| Amundi MSCI Emerging Markets Swap UCITS ETF USD AccLU1681045453 | 986 | 0.20% p.a. | Accumulating | Luxembourg | Unfunded swap | |
| SPDR MSCI Emerging Markets UCITS ETFIE00B469F816 | 969 | 0.18% p.a. | Accumulating | Ireland | Full replication | |
| Amundi Core MSCI Emerging Markets UCITS ETF EUR DistLU1737652583 | 721 | 0.18% p.a. | Distributing | Luxembourg | Full replication | |
| HSBC MSCI Emerging Markets UCITS ETF USD (Acc)IE000KCS7J59 | 619 | 0.15% p.a. | Accumulating | Ireland | Full replication | |
| Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets Swap UCITS ETF 1CLU0292107645 | 573 | 0.49% p.a. | Accumulating | Luxembourg | Unfunded swap | |
| Invesco MSCI Emerging Markets UCITS ETFIE00B3DWVS88 | 315 | 0.19% p.a. | Accumulating | Ireland | Unfunded swap | |
| Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets UCITS ETF 1DIE000GWA2J58 | 220 | 0.18% p.a. | Distributing | Ireland | Full replication | |
| Amundi Core MSCI Emerging Markets UCITS ETF USD DistLU2277591868 | 161 | 0.18% p.a. | Distributing | Luxembourg | Full replication | |
| Amundi MSCI Emerging Markets Swap II UCITS ETF USD AccFR0010435297 | 87 | 0.55% p.a. | Accumulating | France | Unfunded swap | |
| Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets Swap UCITS ETF 1DLU2675291913 | 79 | 0.18% p.a. | Distributing | Luxembourg | Unfunded swap |
| Index | 1 month in % | 3 months in % | 6 months in % | 1 year in % | 3 years in % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSCI Emerging Markets | -3.76% | 10.87% | 21.85% | 24.52% | 36.88% |
| Index | 2025 in % | 2024 in % | 2023 in % | 2022 in % | 2021 in % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSCI Emerging Markets | 24.33% | 9.13% | 3.61% | -10.57% | -1.50% |
Source: justETF.com; As of 30/11/2025; Calculations in GBP based on the largest ETF of the respective index.