What if you invested monthly in KODEX 200 (KOSPI 200 ETF) for 15 years?
See how a 15-year monthly investment into KODEX 200, the flagship ETF tracking Korea's KOSPI 200 index, would have looked using real price data. Even Korea's benchmark index spent long stretches range-bound.
Investment conditions
Asset · KODEX 200 (KOSPI 200 ETF)
Method · Recurring monthly investment
Period · 2011-07-01 ~ 2026-07-01
Amount · $222 / month
As of · 2026-07-01
Key metrics
These results do not reflect taxes. Based on historical data.
Risk & recovery
As important as returns. This service does not hide maximum drawdown or loss periods.
Maximum drawdown (MDD)
-33.5%
Largest drop from peak
Longest loss period
7months
Months in loss: 29
Recovery period
15months
Growth over time
Invested principal (dashed) and portfolio value (solid). Values below match the calculation.
Total invested $40,222 → Final value $209,854 (+421.7%), Maximum drawdown (MDD) -33.5%
Why this period and asset
KODEX 200 is Korea's flagship ETF tracking the KOSPI 200, an index of the 200 largest listed Korean companies. From around 2011, the KOSPI was widely described as stuck in a 'box range,' drifting within a band for several years. During the 2020 COVID period the index plunged and then rebounded quickly. Korea's index has been heavily influenced by semiconductor and export cycles, exchange rates, and foreign investor flows, and its performance gap versus U.S. indices over the same period has often been noted.
Interpreting the result
This scenario shows plainly that even a diversified domestic benchmark can go through long stagnation and drawdowns. On the results screen, be sure to check the maximum drawdown (how far it fell from its peak), the underwater period (time spent below your invested amount or the peak), and the recovery time. It is more diversified than a single stock, but by nature the domestic index can move sideways for a long time in certain periods. Monthly investing buys more units when prices are lower, but it does not eliminate losses.
Caveats & limits
KODEX 200 is a KRW-denominated asset listed in Korea, so results are calculated in Korean won (KRW) with no exchange-rate variable. Still, the domestic index is sensitive to semiconductor and export cycles and foreign flows, and the ETF's expense ratio plus taxes and trading costs erode real performance. Be mindful of the potential for long sideways stretches in certain periods. Past behavior does not guarantee future results, and this page does not recommend buying any specific asset.
Data sources & limits
- Price data source: Yahoo Finance / FinanceDataReader
- Collected on: 2026-07-23
- Effective trading date: 2026-07-01
- Price basis: Adjusted close (reflects dividends and stock splits)
- Trading fees and taxes are not reflected — figures are pre-tax.
- Based on historical data; does not guarantee future returns.
Frequently asked questions
Is a KOSPI 200 ETF safer than a single stock?
It is spread across 200 companies, so a shock to one is cushioned. However, when the whole index falls, diversification alone cannot avoid losses. Checking the maximum drawdown and underwater period on the results screen shows the index too can suffer meaningful drawdowns.
Why is the performance gap with U.S. indices often mentioned?
Over the same period, U.S. benchmarks rose strongly while Korea's benchmark was relatively stagnant for a long time, prompting many such comparisons. But that is only past outcome and cannot be assumed to repeat. Comparing scenarios for the assets you follow is more helpful for your own judgment.
Does monthly investing produce gains even in a range-bound market?
Dollar-cost averaging spreads out your purchase timing and smooths your average cost, but it does not guarantee gains. If the index moves sideways for years, your balance can hover near what you put in, so it is important to review the underwater period and recovery time together.
Related scenarios
📋 Results are based on historical data; past returns do not guarantee future returns.
📋 This service is provided for educational purposes to help you understand investing, not as investment advice.