ETFGI reported today that U.S.-listed ETFs accounted for 22 of the top 50 overseas securities purchased by Korean retail investors in April 2026, down from 28 in March, 29 in February, and 24 in January 2026. ETFGI, a leading independent research and consultancy firm renowned for its expertise in subscription research, consulting services, events, and ETF TV on global ETF industry trends.
Korean retail investors purchased US$7.31 billion in top overseas ETFs in April 2026, well below the peak observed in October 2025, when purchases reached a record US$15.85 billion. (All dollar values in USD unless otherwise noted)
Highlights
- Korean retail investors purchased US$7.31 billion and sold US$8.53 billion of the top overseas ETFs in April 2026
- 22 of the top 50 overseas securities purchased were U.S.-listed ETFs
- 12 of the top 22 ETFs provided leveraged or inverse exposure
- The largest purchase was US$2.39 billion in Direxion Daily Semiconductors Bull 3X Shares ETF
- The largest sale was US$4.29 billion in Direxion Daily Semiconductors Bull 3X Shares ETF
- The largest net purchase settlement was US$398.64 million in Direxion Shares ETF Trust Daily Semiconductor Bear 3X Shares
Amount of top overseas ETFs purchased by Korean retail investors by month
Amount of top overseas ETFs sold by Korean retail investors by month
In 2025, Korean retail investors purchased US$18.30 Bn more in overseas ETFs compared to 2024, suggesting a 17.9% increase in purchases between the two years. The peak month in 2025 was October, with a record of US$15.85 Bn in ETF purchases, whereas for 2024 the peak month was November with US$12.49 Bn.
The total purchase amount of the Top 10 overseas ETFs purchased in 2025 was US$14.89 Bn higher than in 2024. In both 2024 and 2025, the largest oversea ETF purchase was Direxion Daily Semiconductors Bull 3x Shares (SOXL US) listed in the U.S., with total amount of purchases of US$22.88 Bn in 2025 and US$26.07 Bn in 2024.
The total sale amount of the Top 10 overseas ETFs purchased in 2025 was US$14.14 Bn higher than in 2024. In both 2024 and 2025, the largest oversea ETF purchase was Direxion Daily Semiconductors Bull 3x Shares (SOXL US) listed in the U.S., with total amount of sales of US$24.83 Bn in 2025 and US$25.93 Bn in 2024.
The total net purchase settlement amount of the Top 10 overseas ETFs purchased in 2025 was US$5.33 Bn higher than in 2024. In 2025, the largest oversea ETF net purchase settlement was Direxion Daily Tsla Bull 2x Shares (TSLL US) listed in the U.S., with total amount of net purchases of US$ 2.44 Bn, whereas in 2024 the largest oversea ETF net purchase settlement was Direxion Daily Semiconductors Bull 3x SHS ETF (SOXL US) listed in the U.S., with total amount of net purchases of US$1.80 Bn.
The ETF industry in Korea has 1,493 ETFs, with assets of $306.69 Bn, from 38 providers listed on the Korea Exchange at the end of April 2026. 20.29% of the ETFs provide leverage or inverse exposure which account for 6.98% of the assets in the ETF industry in Korea.
