South Korea Is Up Nearly 96 Percent in 2026 and These 3 ETFs Let You Play the Chip Nation Story at Different Risk Levels

AI infrastructure spending is rising, with datacenter equipment growth expected to compound for several years. Memory is the binding constraint because high-bandwidth memory and stacked DRAM are required for AI accelerators. AI memory demand is growing rapidly, and SK Hynix guidance points to strong long-term growth. A large share of DRAM demand now comes from AI, pushing memory pricing higher and lifting the broader KOSPI. EWY provides long-term exposure to South Korea through the MSCI Korea 25/50 Index with a moderate expense ratio and high liquidity. SOXQ complements the trade by targeting semiconductor demand. KORU adds tactical, daily-reset leverage for short-term traders.

"South Korea's KOSPI has gone from emerging-markets afterthought to the best major equity story of 2026, and the engine is sitting inside every advanced AI server on Earth. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix produce the lion's share of the world's high-bandwidth memory (HBM), the stacked DRAM that NVIDIA, AMD, and the hyperscalers cannot build accelerators without. That single supply chain choke point has rerated an entire country."

"AI capex is still climbing, with infrastructure equipment growth expected to compound at roughly 25% annually for the next four to five years on locked-in datacenter demand. Memory is the binding constraint inside that buildout. Industry commentary suggests AI memory demand is growing at a roughly 55% rate this year, and SK Hynix has guided to a 30% CAGR through the end of the decade. About 40% of DRAM demand now comes from AI, which is why Korean memory pricing has gone vertical and dragged the broader KOSPI with it."

"EWY is the most direct, lowest-friction way to own the Korean rally as a multi-year position. The fund tracks the MSCI Korea 25/50 Index, has been around since May 2000, and carries an expense ratio of 0.59%. It is the most liquid Korea vehicle in the U.S. market, and liquidity ma"

"The Invesco PHLX Semiconductor ETF ( NASDAQ:SOXQ) is the demand-side complement that owns the customers buying all that Korean memory. And the Direxion Daily MSCI South Korea Bull 3X Shares ( NYSEARCA:KORU) is the tactical accelerant for traders who understand exactly what daily-reset leverage does to a portfolio over time."

Read at 24/7 Wall St.