EWH vs FLKR

EWHCiShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF

FLKRBFranklin FTSE South Korea ETF

In short

EWH Hong Kong in a single US ticker, listed back in 1996. Roughly two dozen large Hong Kong companies tracking MSCI's Hong Kong 25-50 index, from the first generation of single-country funds.

FLKR Korea in one passive basket for 0.09% a year, a fraction of the 0.50% typical single-country fee. Roughly 160 Korean names tracking a capped FTSE index, run as plain index plumbing rather than a stock-picking bet.

Stated mandate

EWH The fund seeks to track an index of Hong Kong equities, providing targeted exposure to companies in Hong Kong.

FLKR The Fund uses a passive indexing approach to seek returns that closely correspond, before fees and expenses, to the FTSE South Korea Capped Index.

Why people hold it

• EWH One ticker, one city: targeted exposure to Hong Kong companies rather than a broad China blend, tracking the MSCI Hong Kong 25-50 Index.ishares.com
• Trading since March 1996, one of the longest continuously running single-country ETFs on the US market.
• A multibillion-dollar, actively traded iShares fund, so getting in and out is usually straightforward.

• FLKR Charges 0.09% a year against a 0.50% median for single-country developed-market ETFs, tying FLAU as the cheapest fee among this cohort's leaders and undercutting EWC and EWU by a wide margin.
• Straight indexing: it seeks returns that closely correspond, before fees, to the FTSE South Korea Capped Index. No manager views, no discretionary tilts.
• The capped index spreads roughly 160 stocks and limits how far any single giant can dominate the basket, which matters in a market this top-heavy.
• A billion-dollar-plus fund that trades actively, and it has been running since 2017, so it is well past the launch-window stage.

Worth knowing

• EWH 0.50% a year sits above the median index tracker in its peer group, and well above core baskets like SCHK (0.03%) and VT (0.06%).
• Roughly two dozen holdings tied to one city's economy, so a handful of large names and Hong Kong's own cycle drive the ride.
• Distributions arrive once or twice a year, not monthly.

• FLKR One country, one currency. Korean shares price in won, so the exchange rate is baked into what a US investor sees, separate from how the companies do.
• Roughly 160 stocks in a single export-driven market is a narrow slice next to a global fund. Capping softens concentration, it does not erase it.
• Distributions land annually or semiannually, not monthly, so it is built as an equity holding rather than an income schedule.

Full EWH profile⁠

Full FLKR profile⁠