South Korea's Stock Exchange Extends Hours to 8 pm to Attract Global Investors

Korea Exchange is launching an evening trading session that will keep most local equities open until 8 p.m., extending the standard close of 3:30 p.m. This pilot, the first of its kind among major Asian exchanges, targets increased participation from overseas investors, especially during European business hours. About 2,400 Kospi and Kosdaq stocks will be eligible, while exchange-traded funds remain excluded and short-selling will be permitted.

The initiative follows the earlier Nextrade platform, which offered pre-market and evening trading for roughly 600 stocks and captured a sizable share of activity. Market participants caution that the extra hours may merely shift liquidity rather than create new volume, noting thin trading after recent market swings. Analysts argue the extended session could reduce information asymmetry and allow quicker reactions to post-close news, but concerns remain about price impact and currency-hedging costs for large foreign funds.