There are products that slice up K-pop or K-food, but such products are highly exposed to sector volatility. Even if an industry is strong now, not everything is good; we are in a phase where only the ones with momentum move. Through the essence of active ETFs—"separating the wheat from the chaff"—we plan to invest only in leading K-culture corporations. We also focused on the role of platforms that deliver K-culture globally. We will flexibly adjust the Korea-U.S. balance to maximize excess returns.
Deputy Minister Kim Ji-woon of Samsung Active Asset Management said this on the 25th at a press briefing held at TP Tower in Yeouido, Seoul, outlining the features of the newly listed "KoAct Global K-culture Value Chain Active ETF." The briefing was organized to report on the performance of Samsung Active Asset Management's standalone ETF brand KoAct and to present its future growth direction.
First, Samsung Active Asset Management said KoAct grew to 1 trillion won in net worth in 2 years and 3 months since its launch. With the growth of 17 ETFs—2 products in 2023, 7 in 2024, and 8 in 2025—equity ETFs posted more than fourfold growth.
Deputy Minister Seo Jung-Jin said, "Based on our investment philosophy of 'investing in the changes of the world,' we have invested in demographic shifts such as aging and low birthrates, climate change driven by abnormal weather and global warming, and technological changes such as artificial intelligence (AI), robots, and Autonomous Driving," adding, "We have achieved excess returns through an active strategy of stock selection."
Next, as the first product for KoAct's new leap, they introduced the "KoAct Global K-culture Value Chain Active ETF." This ETF consists of core K-culture corporations in K-pop, K-food, and K-beauty, along with global platform corporations that serve as the base for expanding them globally.
Deputy Minister Kim explained, "We selected names based on whether the five-year growth rate has produced a meaningfully significant change, whether there is a distinct service and brand, whether it holds a monopoly or oligopoly position, whether cash flow truly supports it, and whether there is a management team that can deliver."
Representative domestic corporations include HYBE, YG Entertainment, Samyang Foods, and APR Co., while global corporations include Netflix, Spotify, and Ulta Beauty.
Deputy Minister Kim said, "HYBE has many growth opportunities next year, including BTS members' discharge from the military, NewJeans' return, and KATSEYE's rise," and added, "In the United States, when people think of spicy ramen, they look for Korean products, and as that food culture takes hold and repeat purchases continue, there will be opportunities in the K-food sector."
Chief Executive Officer Ha Ji-won said, "Samsung Active Asset Management will launch a variety of ETF products that investors want based on our operational capabilities and know-how to contribute to the growth of their asset."