EWY vs. MKOR

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (EWY) and Matthews Korea Active ETF (MKOR).

EWY and MKOR are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. EWY is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI Korea Index. It was launched on May 12, 2000. MKOR is an actively managed fund by Matthews. It was launched on Oct 29, 2010.

Performance

EWY vs. MKOR - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (EWY) and Matthews Korea Active ETF (MKOR). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

EWY vs. MKOR - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
EWY iShares MSCI South Korea ETF	26.53%	95.33%	-20.48%	-0.44%
MKOR Matthews Korea Active ETF	26.80%	70.33%	-15.76%	-2.16%

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both investments are quite close, with EWY having a 26.53% return and MKOR slightly higher at 26.80%.

EWY

• 1D: 5.65%
• 1M: -18.74%
• YTD: 26.53%
• 6M: 57.02%
• 1Y: 132.74%
• 3Y*: 29.24%
• 5Y*: 8.53%
• 10Y*: 11.06%

MKOR

• 1D: 5.51%
• 1M: -16.25%
• YTD: 26.80%
• 6M: 48.56%
• 1Y: 109.77%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

EWY vs. MKOR - Expense Ratio Comparison

EWY has a 0.59% expense ratio, which is lower than MKOR's 0.79% expense ratio.

MKOR

Matthews Korea Active ETF

EWY

iShares MSCI South Korea ETF

Return for Risk

EWY vs. MKOR — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

EWY

EWY Risk / Return Rank: 98
EWY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 98
EWY Sortino Ratio Rank: 98
EWY Omega Ratio Rank: 97
EWY Calmar Ratio Rank: 98
EWY Martin Ratio Rank: 98

MKOR

MKOR Risk / Return Rank: 97
MKOR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 98
MKOR Sortino Ratio Rank: 97
MKOR Omega Ratio Rank: 97
MKOR Calmar Ratio Rank: 97
MKOR Martin Ratio Rank: 98

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

EWY vs. MKOR - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (EWY) and Matthews Korea Active ETF (MKOR). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	EWY	MKOR	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	3.68	3.49	+0.19
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	3.87	3.88	-0.01
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.55	1.55	0.00
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	5.61	5.23	+0.38
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	22.88	22.29	+0.59
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

EWY vs. MKOR - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current EWY Sharpe Ratio is 3.68, which is comparable to the MKOR Sharpe Ratio of 3.49. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of EWY and MKOR, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	EWY	MKOR	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	3.68	3.49	+0.19
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.32	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.42	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.27	0.98	-0.72

Correlation

The correlation between EWY and MKOR is 0.95, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

EWY vs. MKOR - Dividend Comparison

EWY's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.66%, less than MKOR's 2.07% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
EWY iShares MSCI South Korea ETF	1.66%	2.10%	2.55%	2.52%	1.23%	2.16%	0.73%	2.10%	1.34%	2.90%	1.21%	2.42%
MKOR Matthews Korea Active ETF	2.07%	2.62%	5.28%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

EWY vs. MKOR - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum EWY drawdown since its inception was -74.14%, which is greater than MKOR's maximum drawdown of -22.09%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for EWY and MKOR.

Drawdown Indicators

	EWY	MKOR	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-74.14%	-22.09%	-52.05%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-23.08%	-20.62%	-2.46%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-48.55%	—	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-49.73%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-18.74%	-16.25%	-2.49%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-20.23%	-6.39%	-13.84%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	5.66%	4.84%	+0.82%

Volatility

EWY vs. MKOR - Volatility Comparison

iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (EWY) has a higher volatility of 22.66% compared to Matthews Korea Active ETF (MKOR) at 20.30%. This indicates that EWY's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than MKOR based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	EWY	MKOR	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	22.66%	20.30%	+2.36%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	31.11%	27.34%	+3.77%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	36.32%	31.64%	+4.68%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	26.61%	24.25%	+2.36%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	26.19%	24.25%	+1.94%