South Korean Retirement Fund Investors See Divergent Semiconductor ETF Returns Based on Entry Timing, July 19

According to Seoul Economyaily on July 19, South Korean retirement fund account holders investing in domestic semiconductor ETFs experienced drastically different returns depending on when they entered the market, as major chip stocks faced sharp corrections in recent weeks.

Investors who bought KODEX Semiconductor in late March achieved a 52% return as of July 16, while those who purchased in April, May, and June recorded returns of 6.7%, -17.8%, and -23.7% respectively. Similarly, the TIGER Semiconductor TOP10 ETF showed a 31% return for March purchases versus -26% and -27% for May and June entries. Retail investors who entered during the May-June period, coinciding with double-digit declines in Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, faced the steepest losses.