Following are some of the details released by South Korea's chief policy adviser Kim Yong-beom, shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump said the two nations had reached a trade deal. Washington has not confirmed the details of the agreement.
CNBC's Chery Kang reports from the sidelines of the APEC Summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, as South Korean auto and shipbuilding stocks surge in early trade following the country's landmark trade pact with the U.S.
A weakening greenback is being compounded by global de-dollarization and lower interest rates, creating an environment for emerging markets (EM) ETFs to prosper. In turn, more investors are flocking into EM equities, but for more targeted exposure, South Korea could present an intriguing alternative.
It's the new president's tax proposals that upset the market, not the 15% U.S. tariffs
General Motors is a big beneficiary of lower import tariffs on South Korea. The U.S. auto maker builds cars there.
“I am pleased to announce that the United States of America has agreed to a Full and Complete Trade Deal with the Republic of Korea,” Trump, 79, wrote on Truth Social.
While there has been decent semiconductor performance, the gains in EWY have come primarily from the exceptional year for the Won and corporate governance reform. Korea has lots of highly discounted, overcapitalised stocks on its market, and changes to the dividend tax code, as well as other mandated changes, are closing the discount. The discount on single stocks is still very present, and it will likely take a while for companies to change their ways, but like Japan things are improving.
After a poor 2024, South Korea has rallied year-to-date. Valuations aren't that cheap as a result. Meanwhile, fundamental challenges still loom large.
Korean equities, tracked by EWY, are once again cheaper than Chinese equities, making them attractive due to Korea's technological edge and U.S.-friendly stance. EWY is around 21% Samsung, and most of the time acts as a proxy for this otherwise difficult-to-trade stock. Samsung underperformed the broader Korean market on the back of downward earnings revisions, and now trades at 9x 2026 estimated GAAP EPS.
Gains among South Korean names were led by Hanwha Aerospace, Korea Aerospace Industries, Hyundai Rotem and LIG Nex1. The pickup in South Korean stocks comes amid expectations of higher defense costs in Europe, after regional leaders held security talks that touched on bolstered military spending.
South Korea's stock market has declined recently due to economic and political risks. Weaker economic data in recent quarters has further harmed equity market sentiment. The combination of political instability and poor economic performance has created a challenging environment for investors.
It's been a head-spinning week for ETF investors monitoring geopolitical risks to stocks in their portfolios.