Leveraged ETFs tracking Korea’s major semiconductor names, including Samsung
Electronics and SK Hynix, have plunged since end‑May listings, exposing retail
investors to large losses. More than ten such funds are near halved; the
largest, KODEX SK Hynix single‑stock leveraged ETF (AUM $3.4bn), is down about
45% since listing and over 60% from its June high. Jung In Yun, CEO of Fibonacci
Asset Management, said many retail investors treated these ETFs as long‑term
holdings and that the losses could curb retail buying of semiconductor stocks
and leave any market recovery more dependent on foreign institutional inflows.