IKOR.L vs. EWY

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares MSCI Korea UCITS ETF (Dist) (IKOR.L) and iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (EWY).

IKOR.L and EWY are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. IKOR.L is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI Korea NR USD. It was launched on Nov 18, 2005. EWY is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI Korea Index. It was launched on May 12, 2000. Both IKOR.L and EWY are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

IKOR.L vs. EWY - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a £10,000 investment in iShares MSCI Korea UCITS ETF (Dist) (IKOR.L) and iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (EWY). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

IKOR.L vs. EWY - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
IKOR.L iShares MSCI Korea UCITS ETF (Dist)	31.48%	83.63%	-22.38%	11.89%	-20.71%	-8.48%	37.46%	5.57%	-17.32%	31.34%
EWY iShares MSCI South Korea ETF	31.97%	81.41%	-19.09%	13.10%	-17.86%	-6.71%	35.34%	3.86%	-15.65%	32.44%

Different Trading Currencies

IKOR.L is traded in GBp, while EWY is traded in USD. To make them comparable, the EWY values have been converted to GBp using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both investments are quite close, with IKOR.L having a 31.48% return and EWY slightly higher at 31.97%. Over the past 10 years, IKOR.L has underperformed EWY with an annualized return of 11.38%, while EWY has yielded a comparatively higher 12.14% annualized return.

IKOR.L

• 1D: 8.48%
• 1M: -11.90%
• YTD: 31.48%
• 6M: 63.65%
• 1Y: 132.70%
• 3Y*: 26.39%
• 5Y*: 8.40%
• 10Y*: 11.38%

EWY

• 1D: 2.37%
• 1M: -13.48%
• YTD: 31.97%
• 6M: 60.26%
• 1Y: 129.38%
• 3Y*: 27.26%
• 5Y*: 10.03%
• 10Y*: 12.14%

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

IKOR.L vs. EWY - Expense Ratio Comparison

IKOR.L has a 0.74% expense ratio, which is higher than EWY's 0.59% expense ratio.

IKOR.L

iShares MSCI Korea UCITS ETF (Dist)

EWY

iShares MSCI South Korea ETF

Return for Risk

IKOR.L vs. EWY — Risk / Return Rank

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

IKOR.L

IKOR.L Risk / Return Rank: 98
IKOR.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 99
IKOR.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 98
IKOR.L Omega Ratio Rank: 97
IKOR.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 98
IKOR.L Martin Ratio Rank: 98

EWY

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

IKOR.L vs. EWY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares MSCI Korea UCITS ETF (Dist) (IKOR.L) and iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (EWY). 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.

	IKOR.L	EWY	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	4.22	3.77	+0.45
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	4.53	3.95	+0.58
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.64	1.57	+0.07
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	6.19	6.22	-0.03
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	23.68	23.18	+0.50
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

IKOR.L vs. EWY - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current IKOR.L Sharpe Ratio is 4.22, which is comparable to the EWY Sharpe Ratio of 3.77. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of IKOR.L and EWY, 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

	IKOR.L	EWY	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	4.22	3.77	+0.45
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.36	0.42	-0.06
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.49	0.49	0.00
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.30	0.29	+0.01

Correlation

The correlation between IKOR.L and EWY is 0.77, 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

IKOR.L vs. EWY - Dividend Comparison

IKOR.L's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.01%, less than EWY's 1.61% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
IKOR.L iShares MSCI Korea UCITS ETF (Dist)	0.01%	0.01%	0.01%	0.01%	0.01%	0.01%	0.01%	0.01%	0.01%	0.01%	0.01%	0.00%
EWY iShares MSCI South Korea ETF	1.61%	2.10%	2.55%	2.52%	1.23%	2.16%	0.73%	2.10%	1.34%	2.90%	1.21%	2.42%

Drawdowns

IKOR.L vs. EWY - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IKOR.L drawdown since its inception was -61.99%, roughly equal to the maximum EWY drawdown of -63.46%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IKOR.L and EWY.

Drawdown Indicators

	IKOR.L	EWY	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-61.99%	-74.14%	+12.15%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-21.71%	-23.08%	+1.37%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-44.05%	-48.55%	+4.50%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-47.08%	-49.73%	+2.65%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-15.07%	-16.61%	+1.54%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-16.71%	-20.23%	+3.52%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	5.68%	5.76%	-0.08%

Volatility

IKOR.L vs. EWY - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares MSCI Korea UCITS ETF (Dist) (IKOR.L) is 15.85%, while iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (EWY) has a volatility of 18.79%. This indicates that IKOR.L experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than EWY based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	IKOR.L	EWY	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	15.85%	18.79%	-2.94%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	27.31%	29.60%	-2.29%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	31.30%	34.54%	-3.24%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	23.33%	24.15%	-0.82%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	23.77%	24.69%	-0.92%