KODEX 200, the flagship index exchange-traded fund (ETF) managed by Samsung Asset Management, has become the first ETF in Korea to surpass 30 trillion won in net assets, as the domestic stock market's rally continues.
Samsung Asset Management said Wednesday that KODEX 200's net assets reached 30.8249 trillion won as of the 2nd of this month. After crossing 10 trillion won in net assets last October and surpassing 20 trillion won in April this year, it reached the 30 trillion won mark in about two months. This is the first time a Korean ETF has exceeded 30 trillion won in net assets.
KODEX 200 is Korea's largest ETF, tracking the KOSPI 200 index. It allows investors to diversify across leading Korean companies such as Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) and SK hynix (000660.KS), making it a flagship product for those seeking to invest in the broader domestic stock market. Samsung Asset Management opened Korea's ETF market for the first time when it listed KODEX 200 in October 2002.
The pace of inflows has been particularly steep this year. KODEX 200's net assets increased by 19.1281 trillion won since the start of the year, the largest gain among Korean ETFs. Over the same period, individual investors net-purchased 2.6394 trillion won worth of the fund.
Driven by KODEX 200's growth, Samsung Asset Management's ETF business is also expanding. Total net assets of KODEX ETFs surpassed 200 trillion won on the 29th of last month and currently stand at 203.7 trillion won. Its market share is approaching 40%.
Long-term performance is also supporting investor inflows. KODEX 200 has recorded a cumulative return of 2,750% since its listing in 2002. Investment demand through individual retirement pension (IRP) and defined contribution (DC) retirement pension accounts is also steadily increasing.
"KODEX 200 is a product that has grown alongside Korea's economic growth and built unrivaled symbolic significance," said Jung Jae-wook, head of Samsung Asset Management's ETF Management Team 3. "Going forward, we will continue to serve as a master key that helps investors successfully build long-term assets, based on long-term performance driven by the growth of Korea's leading companies including semiconductors, and low transaction costs backed by overwhelming liquidity."
