STOCKS | South Korea Extends Trading Hours to Test Global Investor Demand

South Korea's main stock exchange will add an evening trading session, breaking with Asia's usual trading hours in an effort to attract sustained demand from global investors. According to Sina Finance, the exchange will begin extended trading on Monday, with nearly all domestic stocks available until 8:00 p.m. after the regular session closes at 3:30 p.m. The move is the first of its kind among major Asian exchanges and follows the global trend toward round-the-clock markets led by Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange. According to Sina Finance, the exchange hopes to draw more international participation, especially during Europe's trading hours, while testing whether liquidity can be maintained after hours and whether investors still need a longer trading window as enthusiasm for Korean stocks cools. London-based Pictet Asset Management senior investment manager Lee Young-jae said longer trading hours generally give investors more flexibility and improve market efficiency. According to Sina Finance, he added that high-frequency, short-term traders and hedge funds may use the session more often. After-hours trading is not new in South Korea. According to Sina Finance, alternative trading system Nextrade launched pre-market and evening sessions in March 2025, covering about 600 stocks and accounting for nearly 30% of trading volume within months. The Korea Exchange will expand the evening session to about 2,400 Kospi and Kosdaq constituent stocks and allow short selling, while exchange-traded funds will not be included for now. According to Sina Finance, the exchange also plans to launch a pre-market session by the end of 2027. Edward Kim, head of Korea equity sales at Bank of America, said the move marks another step in the continued development of South Korea's capital market and its effort to become more open to global investors.