Hometown Love Donation: 44% Credit and a 207,000-Won Break-Even
Korea's hometown love donation (gohyang sarang gibu) credits 100% of the first 100,000 won and 44% of the next 100,000. Add the 30% gift cap and the break-even sits near 207,000 won.
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Korea's Pension Accounts: the 9 Million Won Tax Credit Ceiling
Yeongeum-jeochuk (private pension savings) and IRP share one annual tax-credit ceiling of 9 million won, but a single pension savings account counts only up to 6 million. Split it wrong and the same deposit returns 495,000 won less.
ETF Premium vs Tracking Error: Korea's New 2% Rule
Premium/discount measures market price against NAV; tracking error measures the fund's return against its index. From August 19 Korea tightened the domestic ETF threshold to 2%. Here is what a 2% premium actually costs you.
How Korean Bonus Tax Works: Cash vs Company Stock
In Korea a performance bonus is wage income whether it is paid in cash or in company shares. Stock is taxed at the closing price on the grant date, and the bill does not shrink if the share price falls afterwards.
Productive-Finance ISA vs Regular ISA: The Dividend Tax Math
Korea's proposed Productive-Finance ISA exempts all interest and dividend income from domestic stocks and funds. 20 million won a year, up to 10 years, starting 2027. On 15 million won of dividends over three years, the tax gap runs from 2.31 million won to zero.
Korea's CMA Accounts: 4 Types, and Why None Are Deposit-Insured
Except for the jonggeum type, every Korean CMA account — RP, issued-note, MMF, MMW — falls outside deposit insurance. Here is what a 10 million won, 30-day deposit actually earns after tax in each.
Reading VIX: What a Level of 20 Means for the Daily Move
A VIX of 20 means the options market has priced roughly 20% annualized movement in the S&P 500 over the next 30 days — about ±1.25% a day, or ±5.7% over the month. Here is the conversion, the 16-versus-19.10 gap, and where it breaks.
Korea's Dividend Separate Taxation: 40% Payout Rule, 4 Brackets
From January 1, 2026, cash dividends from Korean listed firms with a payout ratio of 40% or more can be taxed separately at 14–30% instead of being rolled into comprehensive income. The break-even sits near a 50 million won taxable base.
Oil ETF Roll Cost: How Contango and Backwardation Set Your Return
An oil futures ETF's return is not set by the oil price alone. On July 29, 2026, WTI September traded at $84.46 and December at $77.74 — a curve that adds or subtracts about 2.80% a month even if oil goes nowhere.
Korean Convertible Bond Refixing: The 70% Floor and Dilution Math
Refixing on Korean convertible bonds cannot push the conversion price below 70% of its original level. A 30% price cut creates 43% more shares — here is the arithmetic on a 10 million share company issuing a 10 billion won CB.