How to Invest in Korean Stocks from the US: ETFs, ADRs, and Direct Access (2026 Guide)

Three ways to get exposure to Samsung, SK hynix, and the KOSPI from a US brokerage account — with costs, taxes, and the trade-offs of each.

Korea has quietly become one of the most direct ways to invest in the AI hardware boom. Its two memory-chip giants, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, supply much of the world’s DRAM and high-bandwidth memory (HBM), and chips now account for nearly half of Korea’s exports.

The catch: most Korean companies aren’t listed in New York. Here are the three realistic ways a US-based investor can get exposure, from easiest to most hands-on.

Quick answer • Easiest: a Korea country ETF such as EWY or FLKR — one ticker, US-listed, no currency hassle.
• Single stocks: a handful of Korean companies trade as US ADRs, including SK hynix (SKHY) since July 2026. Samsung does not have a US ADR.
• Direct access: buying on the Korea Exchange is possible but involves foreign-currency accounts, Korean market hours, and more paperwork.

Option 1: Korea ETFs (the simplest route)

Exchange-traded funds listed in the US hold a basket of Korean stocks and trade in dollars during US market hours. You buy them like any other stock.

ETF	What it tracks	Notes
EWY — iShares MSCI South Korea	MSCI Korea index	The largest and most liquid Korea ETF; a higher fee than FLKR
FLKR — Franklin FTSE South Korea	FTSE South Korea index	Much lower expense ratio; smaller and less liquid
KORU — Direxion Daily South Korea Bull 3X	3× the daily return of an MSCI Korea index	For short-term traders only; leveraged ETFs can lose value over time even if the index rises

What you’re really buying: Korea’s market is very concentrated. Samsung Electronics and SK hynix together can make up a large share of a market-cap-weighted Korea fund — often well over a third. A Korea ETF is therefore, to a significant degree, a bet on memory chips, with banks, autos (Hyundai, Kia), batteries, and shipbuilders making up much of the rest.

Always check the fund’s current top holdings and expense ratio on the issuer’s website before buying; both change over time.

Pros: diversified, simple, tax reporting is handled like any US fund. Cons: you can’t pick individual names, and the concentration means less diversification than “a whole country” implies.

Option 2: Korean ADRs (single stocks in New York)

American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) let US investors buy foreign shares in dollars on US exchanges. Each ADR represents a fixed number (or fraction) of shares held by a custodian bank in Korea.

The big one: SK hynix (SKHY)

SK hynix listed ADRs on Nasdaq on July 10, 2026, raising about $26.5 billion — the largest US listing ever by a foreign company. The ADRs were priced at $149, opened at $170 and closed the first day up about 13%. Each ADR represents one-tenth of a Seoul-listed share, and the ticker is SKHY.

Because SKHY and SK hynix’s Seoul shares represent the same company, their prices move closely together after adjusting for the exchange rate and the 1:10 ratio — though gaps can open up because the two markets trade at different hours.

Other Korean ADRs on US exchanges

Several long-established Korean companies also have NYSE-listed ADRs, including:

KB Financial Group (KB), Shinhan Financial Group (SHG) and Woori Financial Group (WF) — Korea’s largest banks
POSCO Holdings (PKX) — steel and battery materials
SK Telecom (SKM) and KT Corp (KT) — telecoms
Korea Electric Power (KEP) — the state-controlled power utility
LG Display (LPL) — display panels

Verify current listing status with your broker before trading; companies occasionally delist ADR programs.

What about Samsung?

Samsung Electronics does not have a US-listed ADR. It has global depositary receipts (GDRs) listed in London, and some US brokers offer them over the counter, but liquidity and access vary. For most US investors, the practical way to own Samsung is through a Korea ETF or by buying directly in Seoul.

Option 3: Buying directly on the Korea Exchange

Korea has been opening its market to foreigners as part of a long effort to win “developed market” status from index provider MSCI. Notably, the old requirement for foreign investors to pre-register with Korean regulators was scrapped in December 2023, and the country launched 24-hour won–dollar trading in July 2026.

Even so, direct access is still the most complex route:

You need a broker that supports the Korea Exchange (KRX), or an account with a Korean brokerage that accepts non-residents.
Trades settle in won, so you’ll take on currency conversion costs.
Regular KRX trading hours (9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Korea time) fall in the US evening and overnight.

Who it’s for: investors who want specific Korean companies with no US listing — Samsung common or preferred shares, Hyundai Motor, battery makers, shipbuilders, or K-beauty and entertainment names.

Taxes to know about

This is general information, not tax advice — check with a qualified tax professional.

Dividends: Korea withholds tax on dividends paid to non-residents. The default rate is 22% (including local income tax), and tax treaties — including the US–Korea treaty — can reduce it, typically if the right residency paperwork is filed. US investors may be able to claim a foreign tax credit for Korean tax withheld.
Capital gains: Under Korean domestic law, non-residents trading listed shares on the exchange are generally exempt from Korean capital gains tax if they own less than 25% of the company. In practice that covers virtually all individual investors. You still owe US tax on your gains as usual.
ETFs and ADRs: withholding is generally applied before dividends reach you; the amount should appear on your year-end tax forms.

Risks unique to Korea

Chip-cycle concentration. Memory prices have soared in 2026, but memory is historically one of the most cyclical industries in the world. When supply catches up, prices — and Korean stocks — can fall hard.
Currency risk. If the won weakens against the dollar, your returns in dollars shrink even if Korean share prices are flat.
Geopolitics. Tensions with North Korea and US–China trade policy (China and the US are Korea’s two largest export markets) can trigger sudden sell-offs.
Index status. MSCI kept Korea in its Emerging Markets category in June 2026 and did not add it to the watch list for an upgrade. A future upgrade could change which funds are required to own Korean stocks — a potential source of big flows in either direction.

Which option is right for you?

“I want Korea exposure in one click” → a Korea ETF like EWY or FLKR.
“I want a pure memory-chip bet” → SKHY, or a semiconductor ETF that holds both US and Korean chipmakers.
“I want Samsung specifically, or niche Korean companies” → direct KRX access through an international broker.

Whichever you choose, size the position with the chip cycle in mind. Korea’s market has delivered spectacular gains during the AI boom — and it has a long history of giving them back just as quickly when the cycle turns.