"Safe but Want Maximum Growth"... The 'ETF' Optimized for Pensions That Has Already Surpassed 1 Trillion Won

A Series of Bond-Mixed 50 ETFs Hit the Market
Some Products Raised 1 Trillion Won in Just One Month
"Be Aware of Potentially Limited Upside"

'50-50 bond-mixed' ETFs, which allow a higher proportion of stocks than traditional equity ETFs in pension accounts, are flooding the market. Investor interest is high, and some products have already entered the '1 trillion won club.'

On the 8th, an employee was monitoring the stock market and exchange rates in the dealing room at the Hana Bank headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul. On the same day, the KOSPI opened at 7,353.94, down 1.82% from the previous trading day. 2026.5.8 Photo by Yongjun Cho

Kim Insik, a researcher at IBK Securities, cited the 'rise of 50-50 bond-mixed ETFs combining equities and bonds' as a notable change in the ETF market in April. After KB Asset Management launched the 'RISE Samsung Electronics SK hynix Bond Mix 50 ETF' at the end of February and quickly attracted funds, similar products were rolled out in succession. Over the past two months, bond-mixed 50 ETFs such as Samsung Asset Management's 'KODEX Samsung Electronics SK hynix Bond Mix 50', Hana Asset Management's '1Q K-Semiconductor TOP2 Bond Mix 50', and Kiwoom Asset Management's 'KIWOOM Samsung Electronics & SK hynix Bond Mix 50' have been listed one after another.

In particular, the RISE Samsung Electronics SK hynix Bond Mix 50 ETF drew attention by surpassing 1 trillion won in net assets in just 36 trading days after listing. This is the fastest time in history for a Korean bond-mixed ETF to reach the 1 trillion won milestone.

Kim pointed to 'institutional changes in the pension market' as the main reason behind the popularity of these bond-mixed ETFs. According to retirement pension regulations, if the proportion of equities in an investment is below 50%, it is recognized as a safe asset. This makes it possible for investors to increase their exposure to domestic growth stocks such as semiconductors and AI within the safe asset limit. Kim explained, "In particular, for DC and IRP accounts where the risk asset investment limit is 70%, using these products can effectively expand domestic equity exposure to as much as about 85%, which has increased market attention."

He added, "In the past, safe assets were focused simply on bonds and deposits, but now, the pension ETF market is evolving toward using a bond structure to increase the allocation of domestic growth stocks."

However, he also advised that when investing in recently launched bond-mixed 50 ETFs, investors should be aware that returns may be limited during bullish markets. Kim explained, "The 50-50 bond-mixed ETF adjusts the allocation daily to meet the legal requirements for safe assets. In an uptrend, this structure automatically reduces the stock proportion and realizes part of the gains. Therefore, in strong momentum markets such as those driven by semiconductors and AI, the upside potential may be more limited compared to traditional equity ETFs."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.