South Korea Stock Market PE Ratio

The South Korea Stock Market currently trades at a current P/E ratio of 12.83 as of October 24, 2025.

Over the past five years, the median P/E has been 10.16, putting today's valuation in the 90th percentile of that range. Looking at the longer 10-year period, where the median sits at 10.03, the current reading ranks in the 95th percentile - a level historically associated with Expensive pricing. The 20-year median of 9.64 provides additional context, with the current ratio in the 97.1th percentile of that extended timeframe.

This analysis is based on the iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (EWY) which serves as the benchmark for the South Korea market.

Since May 1996, the iShares MSCI South Korea ETF has recorded a median P/E ratio of 9.52 over 30 years. Against this full historical backdrop, the current valuation sits in the 91.8th percentile of all recorded readings, indicating that the market is trading well above its long-term median.

Historical P/E Comparison

The table below compares the current P/E Ratio (12.83) with its historical median and percentile rankings.

Time Period	Median PE Ratio	Percentile Rank	Valuation
1 Year	10.14	100	Expensive
5 Year	10.16	90	Expensive
10 Year	10.03	95	Expensive
20 Year	9.64	97.1	Expensive
Since May 1996	9.52	91.8	Expensive

Returns vs P/E Ratio

Over the past decade, the PE rose from 9.4 (54.7th percentile) to 12.83 (95th percentile). Annualized total return over this period was 5.3%. Percentile rank indicates position within the historical distribution. Elevated valuations do not necessarily imply immediate low returns; markets can remain richly valued for extended periods, but this warrants caution for longer-horizon return assumptions.

Time Period	Starting PE Ratio	Starting Percentile	Total Return	Annualized Return
1 Year	10.55	72.8	+49.3%	+49.3%
3 Year	9.09	44.3	+83.1%	+22.3%
5 Year	11.3	83.3	+34.4%	+6.1%
10 Year	9.36	54.7	+68%	+5.3%

Historical Data (1996-2025)

Date	Current PE Ratio
Oct 2025	12.83
Sep 2025	10.60
Aug 2025	10.47
Jul 2025	11.62
Jun 2025	11.46
May 2025	9.68
Apr 2025	9.80
Mar 2025	9.71
Feb 2025	9.75
Jan 2025	9.16
Dec 2024	8.67
Nov 2024	10.47
Oct 2024	10.55
Sep 2024	12.96
Aug 2024	13.27
Jul 2024	11.18
Jun 2024	11.95
May 2024	11.84
Apr 2024	12.16
Mar 2024	12.56
Feb 2024	10.52
Jan 2024	9.82
Dec 2023	11.04
Nov 2023	10.03
Oct 2023	9.41
Sep 2023	9.96
Aug 2023	9.68
Jul 2023	10.36
Jun 2023	9.44
May 2023	9.18
Apr 2023	9
Mar 2023	8.48
Feb 2023	8.12
Jan 2023	7.24
Dec 2022	8.80
Nov 2022	9.58
Oct 2022	9.09
Sep 2022	8.43
Aug 2022	8.90
Jul 2022	8.05
Jun 2022	8.05
May 2022	8.67
Apr 2022	8.87
Mar 2022	9.13
Feb 2022	9.53
Jan 2022	9.53
Dec 2021	10.30
Nov 2021	10.37
Oct 2021	9.93
Sep 2021	10.39
Aug 2021	10.39
Jul 2021	10.95
Jun 2021	11.34
May 2021	11.34
Apr 2021	11.70
Mar 2021	13.06
Feb 2021	13.83
Jan 2021	14.27
Dec 2020	13.31
Nov 2020	12.31
Oct 2020	11.30
Sep 2020	12.06
Aug 2020	12.06
Jul 2020	12.76
Jun 2020	12.04
May 2020	11.42
Apr 2020	10.27
Mar 2020	8.66
Feb 2020	10.57
Jan 2020	11.30
Dec 2019	11.53
Nov 2019	10.89
Oct 2019	11.19
Sep 2019	10.91
Aug 2019	10.19
Jul 2019	11.10
Jun 2019	10.71
May 2019	10.44
Apr 2019	10.98
Mar 2019	10.03
Feb 2019	10.03
Jan 2019	9.11
Dec 2018	8.43
Nov 2018	7.60
Oct 2018	7.46
Sep 2018	7.93
Aug 2018	7.85
Jul 2018	7.85
Jun 2018	8.02
May 2018	8.47
Apr 2018	8.66
Mar 2018	8.48
Feb 2018	8.61
Jan 2018	8.45
Dec 2017	8.60
Nov 2017	8.88
Oct 2017	8.88
Sep 2017	8.55
Aug 2017	8.55
Jul 2017	8.98
Jun 2017	9.18
May 2017	8.94
Apr 2017	8.94
Mar 2017	9.47
Feb 2017	9.34
Jan 2017	9.52
Dec 2016	9.54
Nov 2016	9.54
Oct 2016	10.18
Sep 2016	10.18
Aug 2016	10.07
Jul 2016	10.07
Jun 2016	10.37
May 2016	10.37
Apr 2016	10.53
Mar 2016	10.53
Feb 2016	10.10
Jan 2016	9.63
Dec 2015	9.82
Nov 2015	10.23
Oct 2015	9.36
Sep 2015	9.52
Aug 2015	8.77
Jul 2015	9.33
Jun 2015	9.33
May 2015	9.78
Apr 2015	10
Mar 2015	9.91
Feb 2015	9.66
Jan 2015	9.16
Dec 2014	9.58
Nov 2014	8.99
Oct 2014	8.99
Sep 2014	9.55
Aug 2014	9.74
Jul 2014	9.84
Jun 2014	9.32
May 2014	8.90
Apr 2014	8.88
Mar 2014	8.69
Feb 2014	8.69
Jan 2014	8.50
Dec 2013	8.50
Nov 2013	8.83
Oct 2013	8.77
Sep 2013	8.55
Aug 2013	8.33
Jul 2013	8.04
Jun 2013	7.51
May 2013	7.82
Apr 2013	8.53
Mar 2013	8.71
Feb 2013	8.35
Jan 2013	8.47
Dec 2012	8.47
Nov 2012	8.07
Oct 2012	8.56
Sep 2012	8.56
Aug 2012	8.56
Jul 2012	7.92
Jun 2012	7.97
May 2012	8.47
Apr 2012	8.72
Mar 2012	9.25
Feb 2012	9.16
Jan 2012	8.70
Dec 2011	8.21
Nov 2011	8.79
Oct 2011	8.01
Sep 2011	7.81
Aug 2011	9.19
Jul 2011	8.73
Jun 2011	9.46
May 2011	9.64
Apr 2011	10.24
Mar 2011	9.30
Feb 2011	9.52
Jan 2011	10.06
Dec 2010	9.75
Nov 2010	9.40
Oct 2010	9.34
Sep 2010	9.13
Aug 2010	8.88
Jul 2010	8.78
Jun 2010	8.24
May 2010	8.24
Apr 2010	9.59
Mar 2010	9.54
Feb 2010	8.97
Jan 2010	9.79
Dec 2009	9.64
Nov 2009	9.64
Oct 2009	10.29
Sep 2009	10.95
Aug 2009	11.25
Jul 2009	11.73
Jun 2009	11.88
May 2009	12.30
Apr 2009	11.56
Mar 2009	10.78
Feb 2009	10.11
Jan 2009	10.09
Dec 2008	9.02
Nov 2008	8.94
Oct 2008	7.37
Sep 2008	9.13
Aug 2008	9.06
Jul 2008	9.06
Jun 2008	10.07
May 2008	10.92
Apr 2008	11.60
Mar 2008	10.11
Feb 2008	10.77
Jan 2008	11.53
Dec 2007	11.99
Nov 2007	11.71
Oct 2007	12.79
Sep 2007	12.49
Aug 2007	11.29
Jul 2007	13.16
Jun 2007	12.23
May 2007	11.79
Apr 2007	11.22
Mar 2007	10.69
Feb 2007	10.61
Jan 2007	9.95
Dec 2006	10.28
Nov 2006	10.28
Oct 2006	10.29
Sep 2006	10.29
Aug 2006	9.93
Jul 2006	9.35
Jun 2006	8.81
May 2006	10.43
Apr 2006	10.43
Mar 2006	9.36
Feb 2006	10
Jan 2006	9.83
Dec 2005	9.45
Nov 2005	8.92
Oct 2005	8.90
Sep 2005	8.81
Aug 2005	8.59
Jul 2005	8.15
Jun 2005	7.68
May 2005	7.45
Apr 2005	7.82
Mar 2005	7.95
Feb 2005	7.77
Jan 2005	7.52
Dec 2004	6.99
Nov 2004	6.99
Oct 2004	6.99
Sep 2004	6.80
Aug 2004	6.31
Jul 2004	6.13
Jun 2004	6.22
May 2004	6.41
Apr 2004	8.03
Mar 2004	9.04
Feb 2004	9.09
Jan 2004	8.61
Dec 2003	8.65
Nov 2003	8.84
Oct 2003	8.84
Sep 2003	8.84
Aug 2003	8.44
Jul 2003	8.23
Jun 2003	7.94
May 2003	6.77
Apr 2003	6.47
Mar 2003	5.94
Feb 2003	6.62
Jan 2003	6.63
Dec 2002	7.16
Nov 2002	6.24
Oct 2002	6.67
Sep 2002	6.91
Aug 2002	7.29
Jul 2002	7.69
Jun 2002	8.08
May 2002	8.59
Apr 2002	10.60
Mar 2002	9.71
Feb 2002	9.94
Jan 2002	9.80
Dec 2001	8.83
Nov 2001	8.75
Oct 2001	7.70
Sep 2001	6.21
Aug 2001	7.18
Jul 2001	7.36
Jun 2001	7.36
May 2001	6.34
Apr 2001	6.13
Mar 2001	6.78
Feb 2001	6.78
Jan 2001	6.43
Dec 2000	6.19
Nov 2000	5.41
Oct 2000	6.24
Sep 2000	7.02
Aug 2000	8.09
Jul 2000	9.18
Jun 2000	7.77
May 2000	6.86
Apr 2000	8
Mar 2000	8.24
Feb 2000	8.78
Jan 2000	10.34
Dec 1999	11.07
Nov 1999	11.04
Oct 1999	11.45
Sep 1999	12.93
Aug 1999	15.21
Jul 1999	17.02
Jun 1999	15.03
May 1999	13.99
Apr 1999	13.04
Mar 1999	12.86
Feb 1999	13.26
Jan 1999	18
Dec 1998	19.75
Nov 1998	16.58
Oct 1998	13.32
Sep 1998	11.69
Aug 1998	12.32
Jul 1998	13.33
Jun 1998	11.53
May 1998	13.85
Apr 1998	15.59
Mar 1998	17.62
Feb 1998	15.97
Jan 1998	10.87
Dec 1997	8.30
Nov 1997	8.08
Oct 1997	9.68
Sep 1997	11.51
Aug 1997	13.07
Jul 1997	14.88
Jun 1997	16.90
May 1997	14.57
Apr 1997	13.60
Mar 1997	11.71
Feb 1997	9.88
Jan 1997	9.60
Dec 1996	10.05
Nov 1996	11.10
Oct 1996	11.31
Sep 1996	10.84
Aug 1996	11.33
Jul 1996	10.73
Jun 1996	10.87
May 1996	10.66

Regional Peer Comparison

The table below shows a comparison of the current P/E Ratio (12.83) with regional peer markets.

Country	PE Ratio	Percentile Rank	Rating
China	14.52	92.50	Expensive
Japan	17.24	94.20	Expensive
India	22.67	39.20	Undervalued
Indonesia	13.01	28.30	Undervalued
Singapore	15.34	93.30	Expensive

Definition: Trailing P/E Ratio

The trailing P/E ratio for South Korea Stock Market shows how much investors are paying for one unit of the index's past earnings.
It is calculated as : P/E = Index level / Aggregated EPS
Aggregated EPS means the index's total earnings per share after weighting each stock in the index (usually by its market capitalization): Aggregated EPS = sum(weight_i * EPS_i). For trailing P/E, the EPS_i values are the actual earnings from the past 12 months.