Roundhill files for Samsung Group ETF to target US investors locked out of Korean markets

Roundhill Investments has filed for a Samsung Group ETF designed to capture the sprawling network of Samsung-affiliated companies that US investors currently can’t touch through traditional brokerage accounts.

The filing, dated August 12, 2026, targets a specific problem: most of Samsung’s constellation of companies trade exclusively on Korean exchanges, with no American depositary receipts to bridge the gap. For US investors who want exposure beyond Samsung Electronics, the options have been essentially nonexistent.

Beyond a single stock

The proposed ETF would expand beyond a single issuer to potentially cover multiple Samsung-affiliated companies trading on the Korean market.

This approach contrasts with Roundhill’s earlier Samsung-focused product. Back in August 2022, the firm filed for the Roundhill TRAX Samsung Shares ETF, ticker SAMS, which was designed to track Samsung Electronics specifically through swaps and derivatives. The new filing takes a fundamentally different approach by casting a wider net across the group’s corporate family tree.

Roundhill’s semiconductor momentum

The firm’s DRAM Memory ETF, which launched on April 2, 2026, crossed $1 billion in assets just 10 trading days after its debut.

Samsung features prominently in that fund, with approximately 25% of the DRAM ETF’s exposure allocated to the company.

The access problem

Samsung Electronics has a widely traded ADR. But most other Samsung Group companies don’t. If you wanted to buy shares of Samsung SDI (the battery arm), Samsung SDS (the IT services division), or Samsung Engineering, you’d need a brokerage account with access to the Korea Exchange. Most retail investors in the US don’t have that.

ETFs using swap-based or derivative structures can provide that access without requiring direct trading on foreign exchanges.

What this means for investors

The filing is still in its early stages, with no confirmed launch date or final structural details.

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