South Korea's Kospi Index Records 20 Trading Days With 5%+ Swings Year-to-Date, Driven by Retail Leverage-ETF Demand

According to Jin10, South Korea's Kospi index recorded 20 trading days with swings of at least 5% year-to-date, compared to only 2 days throughout 2025. Samsung Electronics posted 8 trading days with swings of 10% or more this year versus none in 2025, while SK Hynix saw 11 such days compared to 2 days last year. The spike in volatility is driven largely by retail investors' aggressive purchases of leveraged ETFs.

According to Goldman Sachs estimates, a 5% Kospi swing can trigger approximately $4.7 billion in ETF rebalancing flows as options traders adjust risk exposure. This volume equals roughly one-eighth of typical daily trading volume on the Korean stock exchange.