President orders swift measures on risks of single-stock leveraged ETFs

President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday urged financial authorities to swiftly draw up measures to address risks posed by single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs) tied to Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, as the high-risk products come under mounting criticism for exacerbating volatility in the domestic stock market.

Speaking at a policy briefing at Cheong Wa Dae, Lee singled out the controversial products, asking Korea Exchange Chairman Jeong Eun-bo, “Isn't there quite a stir over these ETFs?” The president then instructed the Financial Services Commission (FSC) and the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) to “quickly put together well-crafted follow-up measures” to address the issue.

Leveraged ETFs are designed to magnify the daily gains or losses of an underlying asset, typically a broad market index such as KOSPI or the S&P 500, by two or three times.

Single-stock versions take that concept a step further, allowing investors to make amplified bets on the direction of an individual company rather than a diversified benchmark.

While the structure can turbocharge returns ...