iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (EWY) is a ETF from iShares by BlackRock (US) and Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS) is a ETF from Vanguard (US). Over the past year EWY returned +131.24% while VXUS returned +27.82%. Year to date, EWY is up 62.48% versus a gain of 14.57% for VXUS.

Over three years, EWY compounded at +40.94% per year against +19.27% for VXUS; over five years the annualized figures are +15.37% and +9.28% respectively. Across the full 16-year window we track, EWY has the edge at +10.12% annualized vs +4.86%. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

EWY has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 30.4% compared with 15.1% for VXUS. Lower volatility generally means a smoother ride, though it often comes with lower long-run returns.

The deepest peak-to-trough decline in our data was -74.0% for EWY and -39.9% for VXUS. Drawdown depth is worth weighing if you expect to sell during market stress rather than ride it out.

The two funds' monthly returns correlate at 0.77. They usually move together, but the gap leaves some room for diversification.

EWY charges 0.59% per year while VXUS charges 0.05%. On a $10,000 position that is $59 vs $5 annually, a gap of $54 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, EWY currently yields 1.01% against 2.60% for VXUS.