SEOUL: As the US-China rivalry reshapes global supply chains around security and resilience, investors are increasingly viewing South Korea as a long-term manufacturing beneficiary rather than simply a China alternative.
Against that backdrop, Hanwha Asset Management is pursuing what it calls a “K-ETF export” strategy – packaging South Korea’s strategic manufacturing sectors into globally listed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) through partnerships with overseas financial platforms.
“South Korea is moving beyond the long-standing South Korea discount towards a genuine South Korea premium,” said Hanwha Asset Management chief marketing officer and executive vice-president Choi Young-jin.
He is best known for leading Hanwha’s participation as index partner in the PLUS Korea Defense Industry Index ETF, which debuted on the New York Stock Exchange in February 2025.
The ETF has since surpassed US$200mil in assets while posting returns of more than 200%. Hanwha’s broader strategy is built around turning South Korean manufacturing into a globally investable asset class tied to long-term geopolitical and industrial shifts. — The Korea Herald/ANN
