EWY
Price
$197.28
Change
-$7.72 (-3.77%)
Updated
Jun 26 closing price
Net Assets
24.85B
Intraday BUY SELL Signals
KF
Price
$72.50
Change
-$2.47 (-3.29%)
Updated
Jun 26 closing price
Net Assets
368.8M
Intraday BUY SELL Signals
VPL
Price
$115.05
Change
-$1.25 (-1.07%)
Updated
Jun 26 closing price
Net Assets
13.83B
Intraday BUY SELL Signals
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EWY or KF or VPL

EWY vs KF vs VPL Comparison Chart in %
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Which ETF would AI Choose? iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (EWY) vs. The Korea Fund, Inc. (KF) vs. Vanguard FTSE Pacific ETF (VPL)

Key Takeaways

  • EWY and VPL are passive index-tracking ETFs with low-to-moderate expense ratios, while KF is an actively managed closed-end fund with significantly higher fees.
  • EWY offers concentrated exposure solely to South Korean equities through approximately 100 holdings, whereas VPL provides broad diversification across the developed Asia-Pacific region with over 2,300 holdings.
  • KF employs active management with a concentrated portfolio of roughly 50-60 Korean securities, resulting in higher concentration risk compared to the two ETFs.
  • VPL maintains the lowest expense ratio at 0.07%, enhancing long-term cost efficiency for investors seeking regional Pacific exposure that includes substantial Korean weightings.
  • All three vehicles focus on South Korea to varying degrees, but differ markedly in geographic breadth, management style, and structural characteristics affecting liquidity and premium/discount dynamics.
  • Structural differences in diversification depth and cost profiles position VPL for broader risk mitigation, while EWY and KF emphasize deeper Korea-specific thematic exposure.

Introduction

These three funds provide distinct avenues for accessing South Korean equity markets amid ongoing semiconductor demand, geopolitical tensions in Asia, and regional economic recovery cycles. EWY and KF concentrate exclusively on South Korea, while VPL delivers diversified exposure to developed Asia-Pacific markets that includes meaningful South Korean allocations alongside Japan, Australia, and other economies. This comparison highlights differences in passive versus active strategies, geographic scope, and cost structures relevant for investors evaluating Korea-centric or Pacific regional allocations in the current environment.

iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (EWY) Overview

The iShares MSCI South Korea ETF seeks to track the investment results of the MSCI Korea 25/50 Index, a market-capitalization-weighted benchmark of large- and mid-cap South Korean equities. The fund holds approximately 100 securities and features significant allocations to the information technology sector, particularly semiconductor leaders. Top holdings typically include Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. EWY maintains an expense ratio of 0.59% and employs a full replication strategy with periodic rebalancing to mirror index weights. As a standard open-end ETF, it offers high liquidity and trades at or near net asset value on U.S. exchanges.

The Korea Fund, Inc. (KF) Overview

The Korea Fund, Inc. is an actively managed closed-end fund that seeks long-term capital appreciation through investments in Korean securities. The portfolio contains approximately 50-60 holdings with notable concentration in information technology and financials. Recent top positions have included SK Hynix at elevated weights alongside Samsung Electronics and other domestic names. KF carries an expense ratio of 1.75% and relies on fundamental stock selection rather than index replication. As a closed-end structure, it may trade at a premium or discount to net asset value, introducing an additional layer of return variability beyond underlying portfolio performance.

Vanguard FTSE Pacific ETF (VPL) Overview

The Vanguard FTSE Pacific ETF tracks the FTSE Developed Asia Pacific All Cap Index, encompassing large-, mid-, and small-cap stocks from developed markets including Japan, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, and New Zealand. The fund holds more than 2,300 securities with broad sector diversification across information technology, financials, and industrials. Top holdings often feature Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix alongside Japanese and Australian companies. VPL features an expense ratio of 0.07% and uses full replication with regular index rebalancing. Its open-end ETF structure supports strong liquidity and minimal deviation from net asset value.

Industry and Thematic Landscape

The Asia-Pacific equity markets continue to be shaped by semiconductor supply-chain dynamics, export-oriented manufacturing trends, and monetary policy shifts across major economies. South Korean companies remain central to global memory chip and electronics production, influencing capital flows into the region. Geopolitical considerations involving trade relations and regional security add volatility layers, while broader macroeconomic factors such as interest rate trajectories and currency movements affect relative performance across Pacific developed markets. Regulatory developments in technology and financial services sectors further influence earnings trajectories for key constituents across all three funds.

Performance and Positioning Comparison

In recent market cycles, the concentrated structures of EWY and KF have produced greater sensitivity to South Korean-specific catalysts compared with VPL's broader Pacific diversification. VPL's extensive holdings have historically supported more stable trend consistency and lower relative volatility during periods of Korea-centric turbulence. Differences in management approach contribute to varied drawdown profiles, with active selection in KF potentially amplifying both upside capture and downside exposure relative to passive benchmarks. Expense differentials also affect net returns over extended horizons, favoring lower-cost vehicles during range-bound or modestly positive environments.

AI Screener

Tickeron’s AI Screener is an AI-powered stock and ETF discovery tool that helps traders and investors filter the market based on technical patterns, fundamentals, trends, volatility, and AI-driven signals. Users can scan thousands of stocks and ETFs using customizable filters such as industry, market capitalization, technical indicators, price patterns, and performance metrics. The screener helps identify trade ideas, trending stocks, breakout candidates, and market opportunities more efficiently than manual screening. Visit the AI Screener to explore current opportunities aligned with your investment criteria.

Tickeron AI Verdict

Based on observable structural attributes, Tickeron’s AI would likely assign the highest current probabilistic favorability to VPL due to its superior diversification across the Pacific region, lowest expense ratio, and resulting risk-adjusted positioning. EWY offers efficient passive access to Korea but with higher concentration, while KF’s active management and elevated fees introduce additional structural considerations that may temper relative appeal in a broad comparison.

Disclaimer

The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer.

Disclaimers and Limitations

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SUMMARIES
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FUNDAMENTALS
Fundamentals
EWY has more net assets: 24.8B vs. VPL (13.8B) and KF (369M). EWY and KF has a higher annual dividend yield than VPL: EWY (102.921) and KF (99.615) vs VPL (27.268). EWY was incepted earlier than KF and VPL: EWY (26 years) vs KF (42 years) and VPL (21 years). VPL (0.07) has a lower expense ratio than EWY (0.59) and KF (1.25). KF has a higher turnover EWY (49.00) and VPL (7.00) vs EWY (49.00) and VPL (7.00).
EWYKFVPL
Gain YTD102.92199.61527.268
Net Assets24.8B369M13.8B
Total Expense Ratio0.591.250.07
Turnover49.0063.007.00
Yield0.991.612.76
Fund Existence26 years42 years21 years
TECHNICAL ANALYSIS
Technical Analysis
EWYKFVPL
RSI
ODDS (%)
Bearish Trend 1 day ago
76%
Bearish Trend 1 day ago
73%
Bearish Trend 1 day ago
79%
Stochastic
ODDS (%)
Bearish Trend 1 day ago
84%
Bearish Trend 1 day ago
80%
Bearish Trend 1 day ago
79%
Momentum
ODDS (%)
Bearish Trend 1 day ago
86%
Bearish Trend 1 day ago
85%
Bullish Trend 1 day ago
79%
MACD
ODDS (%)
Bearish Trend 1 day ago
85%
Bearish Trend 1 day ago
90%
Bearish Trend 1 day ago
83%
TrendWeek
ODDS (%)
Bearish Trend 1 day ago
85%
Bearish Trend 1 day ago
86%
Bearish Trend 1 day ago
78%
TrendMonth
ODDS (%)
Bearish Trend 1 day ago
83%
Bullish Trend 1 day ago
86%
Bearish Trend 1 day ago
73%
Advances
ODDS (%)
Bullish Trend 3 days ago
83%
Bullish Trend 3 days ago
88%
Bullish Trend 3 days ago
80%
Declines
ODDS (%)
Bearish Trend 5 days ago
82%
Bearish Trend 5 days ago
85%
Bearish Trend 18 days ago
77%
BollingerBands
ODDS (%)
Bearish Trend 1 day ago
76%
Bearish Trend 1 day ago
86%
N/A
Aroon
ODDS (%)
Bullish Trend 1 day ago
85%
Bullish Trend 1 day ago
86%
Bullish Trend 1 day ago
85%
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EWY
Daily Signal:
Gain/Loss:
KF
Daily Signal:
Gain/Loss:
VPL
Daily Signal:
Gain/Loss:
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VPL and

Correlation & Price change

A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, VPL has been closely correlated with BHP. These tickers have moved in lockstep 67% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if VPL jumps, then BHP could also see price increases.

1D
1W
1M
1Q
6M
1Y
5Y
Ticker /
NAME
Correlation
To VPL
1D Price
Change %
VPL100%
-1.07%
BHP - VPL
67%
Closely correlated
-0.17%
MFG - VPL
63%
Loosely correlated
+1.25%
RIO - VPL
62%
Loosely correlated
-1.44%
ASX - VPL
61%
Loosely correlated
-3.92%
ING - VPL
60%
Loosely correlated
-0.77%
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