South Korean retail investors have made net purchases of ETFs totaling nearly 70 trillion won so far in 2026, accumulating positions against the market trend during a correction period.

Svmuu News: According to data from the Korea Exchange (KRX) and the financial information provider Yonhap Infomax, South Korean retail investors have cumulatively net purchased 69.5 trillion won worth of ETFs so far in 2026, accounting for approximately 63.2% of the 109.9 trillion won in net purchases on the Korean securities market (KOSPI market) during the same period. Although the South Korean stock market has recently entered a correction phase, retail investors continue to use ETFs to build positions in the market. On a quarterly basis, net purchases totaled 33 trillion won in the first quarter (January to March) and 28.9 trillion won in the second quarter (April to June); since the start of the third quarter, retail investors have made additional purchases of over 1 trillion won this month. In terms of capital flows, over the past month (June 23 to July 23), covered call and monthly dividend ETFs collectively attracted net inflows of approximately 2 trillion won from individual investors, while growth-themed ETFs—such as those focused on semiconductors, space technology, and AI—experienced net outflows. This indicates that, amid heightened market volatility, investors are shifting from pursuing high growth to favoring income-generating ETFs with stable cash flows. (Tokenpost)