ETF buying accounted for 63.2% of KOSPI net purchases, with covered call and monthly dividend products drawing about KRW 2 trillion in a month as tech themes saw outflows.
South Korean retail investors net bought KRW 69.5 trillion of exchange-traded funds in 2026 through July, underscoring how heavily individual investors have leaned on listed fund products this year. KRX and Yonhap Infomax data showed that figure was equal to 63.2% of the KOSPI market’s KRW 109.9 trillion in net purchases over the same period. More recent flows pointed to a preference for income-focused strategies: from June 23 to July 23, covered call ETFs (funds that generate option income) and monthly dividend ETFs attracted about KRW 2 trillion of net inflows, while semiconductor, space technology, and AI-themed ETFs posted net outflows.