South Korean Retail Investors Accumulate 69.5 Trillion Won in ETF Net Purchases Year-to-Date

According to the Korea Exchange (KRX) and Yonhap Infomax, South Korean retail investors have accumulated net ETF purchases of 69.5 trillion won year-to-date as of July 26, accounting for 63.2% of the KOSPI market's total net inflows of 109.9 trillion won. In the first half of 2026, net purchases reached 61.9 trillion won (33 trillion in Q1 and 28.9 trillion in Q2), with an additional 1 trillion won purchased in July.

Despite the recent market adjustment phase, retail investors continue to deploy capital through ETFs. Over the past month (June 23 to July 23), covered call and dividend-focused ETFs attracted approximately 2 trillion won in net inflows, while semiconductor, space technology, and AI-themed growth ETFs experienced outflows, indicating a shift in investor preferences from high-growth assets toward income-generating strategies amid heightened market volatility.