A new exchange-traded fund combining Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and bonds attracted nearly 200 billion won ($140 million) within two days of listing, marking the biggest debut among ETFs launched this year.
KB Asset Management CEO Kim Young-sung told The Seoul Economic Daily that the RISE Samsung Electronics SK Hynix Bond Mix 50 ETF, which debuted on February 26, sold 140 billion won on its first day and approximately 100 billion won on the second day.
"Most of the inflows came from pension accounts," Kim said.
According to industry data, the fund drew a net inflow of 137 billion won on its listing day, including 30 billion won in initial seed capital. An additional 100 billion won reportedly flowed in the following day. Excluding the seed capital, the fund raised 200 billion won in just two days.
Among 16 ETFs launched this year, the KB product is the only one to record net purchases exceeding 100 billion won on its first trading day. Data from Koscom ETF Check showed it ranked first among bond-hybrid ETFs for daily inflows.
"Even across the entire market, attracting over 100 billion won on listing day is extremely rare," a KB Asset Management official said.
The fund's success stems from its structure designed to navigate pension investment regulations. The portfolio allocates 25% to Samsung Electronics, 25% to SK Hynix, and 50% to bonds. This qualifies it as a "safe asset," allowing investors to include it in the mandatory 30% safe-asset allocation required for Individual Retirement Pension and Defined Contribution accounts.
Investors who fill their 70% risky-asset limit with equity funds can allocate the remaining 30% safe-asset portion to this ETF, effectively raising their equity exposure to as much as 85%.
Bond-hybrid ETFs have been gaining popularity in retirement accounts. According to Korea Exchange, total net assets in bond-hybrid ETFs surged from 2.56 trillion won at the end of 2024 to 8.09 trillion won by year-end 2025—a jump of approximately 6 trillion won in one year. As of February 19, the figure reached 10.57 trillion won, surpassing 10 trillion won for the first time.