What Is EWY? iShares MSCI South Korea ETF
Last updated July 2026
Short answer
EWY is iShares MSCI South Korea ETF, an ETF that tracks a single-country equity index at a 0.59% expense ratio. EWY tracks a single-country equity index. It has traded since 2000, so its record spans more than one full cycle. The distribution yield is about 1.01%. At 0.59% it costs more than the typical focused region fund, nearer 0.34%. It is concentrated: the ten largest positions are about 66% of the fund, led by SK Hynix at 27.2%.
EWY is issued by iShares and tracks a single-country equity index. It charges a 0.59% expense ratio, holds approximately $24.5B in assets under management, yields about 1.01%, and launched in 2000.
What is EWY?
EWY is iShares MSCI South Korea ETF, an ETF that tracks a single-country equity index at a 0.59% expense ratio. EWY tracks a single-country equity index. It has traded since 2000, so its record spans more than one full cycle. The distribution yield is about 1.01%. At 0.59% it costs more than the typical focused region fund, nearer 0.34%. It is concentrated: the ten largest positions are about 66% of the fund, led by SK Hynix at 27.2%.
EWY is issued by iShares and tracks a single-country equity index, so a single ticker gives you the whole portfolio of underlying holdings weighted by the index's methodology rather than by any active stock-picking.
What does EWY hold?
EWY is weighted toward its largest constituents. As of August 2026, the top holdings are:
| Rank | Ticker | Company | % of EWY | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SK Hynix Inc | 27.2% | ||
| 2 | Samsung Electronics Co Ltd | 23.2% | ||
| 3 | SK Square | 4.3% | ||
| 4 | Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co Ltd | 3.6% | ||
| 5 | Hyundai Motor Co | 1.7% | ||
| 6 | KB Financial Group Inc | 1.6% | ||
| 7 | Samsung C&T Corp | 1.2% | ||
| 8 | Shinhan Financial Group Co Ltd | 1.2% | ||
| 9 | Doosan Enerbility Co Ltd | 1.1% | ||
| 10 | Samsung Life Insurance Co Ltd | 1.1% |
The remaining holdings make up the balance of the fund, with weights tapering off below the top names. Because the index reconstitutes on a rolling basis, the roster stays current without active management. Each ticker above links to its individual stock guide in Walnut.
How do I invest in EWY?
There are three common ways to get EWY exposure. Buy shares (or fractional shares) of EWY directly at any major broker that lists it. Hold it as a core position and layer more concentrated ideas on top. Or build it into a thematic portfolio in Walnut, so EWY sits alongside other holdings that express the same thesis, with target weights you can rebalance toward. EWY trades like a stock during market hours, so you buy it the same way you would any listed share.
New to buying funds? See how to buy an ETF, step by step.
Is EWY a good buy?
Whether EWY is a good buy depends less on any single call and more on your time horizon and what you already hold: it tracks a single-country equity index, so the real question is whether you want that exposure in your mix and at what weight. We walk through valuation, concentration, and what would have to be true for it to outperform from here in is EWY a buy?
The bottom line on EWY
EWY gives you a single-country equity index exposure in one ticker at a 0.59% expense ratio. Most investors use it as a core holding and layer more concentrated thematic portfolios on top.
More on EWY
Whether EWY is worth buying today depends more on your time horizon and what you already hold than on any single call. We walk through valuation, concentration, and what would have to be true for it to outperform from here in is EWY a buy?
EWY yields 1.01% as of August 2026, paid by passing through the dividends of its underlying holdings. For the payout schedule, history, and how the distributions are taxed, see EWY dividend: yield and schedule.
New to funds like EWY? Start with what an ETF is, then how to buy an ETF, or browse the full guide to ETF investing.
Wondering how EWY fits the portfolio you already own? Walnut is an AI investing app that connects your brokerage read-only and answers questions like that about your actual holdings: overlap, concentration, and how each position tracks the S&P 500. Compare the best AI portfolio analyzers or see the best AI investing apps in 2026.
Investing in EWY with AI
Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how EWY fits what you actually hold: what it overlaps with, what it leaves you exposed to, and how it has tracked the S&P 500. Read-only by default, and you approve anything before it reaches your broker.
FAQ
What is EWY's ticker symbol?
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EWY, iShares MSCI South Korea ETF. Issued by iShares; tracks a single-country equity index. Trades during US market hours, available at every major US brokerage.
What is EWY's expense ratio?
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0.59% as of August 2026.
What are EWY's top holdings?
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Top holdings as of August 2026: , , , , and others. See the full holdings table above.
How can I invest in EWY through Walnut?
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Walnut isn't a broker. Connect a brokerage and Walnut sits on top to help you build and track thematic portfolios. EWY can be a constituent alongside individual stocks.
How do I compare EWY to similar ETFs?
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Put a few fields side by side: the expense ratio (fees compound over decades), the index or strategy it tracks, the top holdings and how much they overlap with what you already own, the dividend yield, and the AUM, liquidity, and bid-ask spread that affect trading costs. For index funds, tracking error (how closely it follows its index) and tax efficiency matter too. EWY's figures are above; the full method is in Walnut's guide on how to compare ETFs.
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Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Holdings weights and fund statistics on this page are approximations stamped to August 2026; verify current figures against iShares's fund page or your broker before investing.