KODEX 200 Soars 81%, Leads Korea's Investment Returns in 2026

The KOSPI 200 ETF has topped Korea's 2026 investment returns, delivering an impressive 81% gain. The KODEX 200 fund, which tracks the KOSPI 200 index, climbed to 109,285 won on September 20 from 60,460 won on January 2, a return of 80.76%, according to data from Daishin Securities.

The KOSPI 200 index itself has fallen more than 20% from its peak following extreme market volatility in July, but the KODEX 200 fund has outperformed other investment options, including crude oil and gold. Crude oil prices rose over 67%, but still trailed the gain in KOSPI 200-linked ETFs.

The average return on 272 actively managed domestic equity funds came to 58.07%, while the SPY ETF, which tracks the US Standard & Poor's 500 index, gained 11.08% over the same period. Gold and bitcoin performed poorly, with gold falling 2.60% and bitcoin dropping 10.18%.

Analysts expect index-tracking ETFs to continue posting high returns as the stock market rallies, with Lee Kyoung-min of Daishin Securities projecting a fourth-quarter KOSPI range of 6,000 to 9,300 points.