FLKR: FRANKLIN FTSE SOUTH KOREA ETF
What this ETF is trying to do
The Franklin FTSE South Korea ETF (FLKR) is designed to give investors exposure to companies in South Korea. It holds a variety of stocks, with a heavy focus on technology and finance. As of October 4, 2026, the fund held 163 different assets.
Top Holdings
The portfolio is led by several large companies. The top holdings include:
• SK Hynix Inc: 18.4%
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd: 17.09%
• SK Square: 4.24%
• Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co Ltd: 3.29%
• KB Financial Group Inc: 2.55%
What the numbers show
As of October 9, 2026, the share price was $58.36. The fund has seen significant growth across different timeframes:
• Year-to-Date: The price return is 82.09%, while the total return is 82.93%.
• One Year: The price return is 108.95%, and the total return is 118.11%.
• Three Year: The price return is 189.48%, and the total return is 225.77%.
Price return only measures the change in the share price. Total return is a different measure that includes the distributions paid out to investors.
For a simple example, if you had invested $10,000 based on the estimated price from roughly one year ago ($27.93), the price-only growth (108.95%) would have increased that principal significantly.
Income and distribution explanation
This ETF pays out cash distributions to its investors. The distribution yield is 2.52%. Over the last 12 months, it made two payouts. These payments happen on an irregular or less frequent basis.
It is important for beginners to know that a distribution yield is not the same as a total return. While distributions provide cash income, they do not guarantee that the original investment value will stay the same.
NAV erosion explanation
"NAV erosion" happens when the internal value of an ETF's assets drops over time. StockValueFinder uses an erosion-risk score to measure this.
FLKR has an erosion score of 100 and a severity rating of "good." The data shows "No price erosion detected," and the severe erosion-risk flag is false.
Pros
• High total returns over the one-year and three-year periods.
• No detected price erosion.
• Diversified across 163 holdings.
Cons
• Distributions are irregular and less frequent.
• High concentration in a few large companies (the top two holdings make up over 35% of the fund).
Beginner takeaway
FLKR provides a way to invest in the South Korean market. While it has shown strong price and total returns recently, investors should remember that high yields or past returns do not guarantee future results. Always look at both the share price and the total return to see the full picture.
Top Holdings
Structured portfolio holdings supplied by the ETF data provider. These figures are not generated by the AI article.
| # | Holding | Ticker | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SK HYNIX INC | n/a | 19.00% |
| 2 | SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD | n/a | 18.29% |
| 3 | SK SQUARE | n/a | 4.48% |
| 4 | SAMSUNG ELECTRO-MECHANICS CO LTD | n/a | 3.88% |
| 5 | KB FINANCIAL GROUP INC | n/a | 2.53% |
| 6 | n/a | n/a | 2.35% |
| 7 | HYUNDAI MOTOR CO | n/a | 1.98% |
| 8 | FRANKLIN INSTL U.S. GOVT MNY MKT FUND | INFXX | 1.95% |
| 9 | SHINHAN FINANCIAL GROUP CO LTD | n/a | 1.90% |
| 10 | DOOSAN ENERBILITY CO LTD | n/a | 1.57% |