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KRX considering launch of 12-hour trading

Published: 05 Aug. 2025, 17:56

The Kospi is displayed on a screen in a dealing room in Hana Bank, in central Seoul, on Aug. 1. [YONHAP]

Korea's main bourse said Tuesday it has gathered opinions from local brokerages on a possible extension of its trading hours to 12 hours.

"We have recently sent a survey to local securities firms asking for their opinion on a plan to launch a 12-hour trading system," an official from the Korea Exchange (KRX) told Yonhap News Agency, adding the plan is still under consideration.

Cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin, already trade around the clock, and Korea's alternative trading platform, Nextrade (NXT), allows people to buy and sell shares for 12 hours, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

However, stocks listed on the KRX are only traded for around six hours from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The KRX said it offered three options in its survey, one of which included opening the official market one hour earlier at 8 a.m. and operating an after-market until 8 p.m. The two other plans involve introducing a premarket session from 8 a.m. before the opening bell.

"Such a move comes in an effort to stay competitive and follow international trends," the KRX said, citing other global exchanges that have taken steps to extend their trading hours.

In March, a senior executive of the tech-heavy Nasdaq said it has begun discussions with regulators to launch a 24-hour trading service by the second half of 2026.

Britain's main stock market, the London Stock Exchange, is reportedly considering increasing its trading hours and is looking into the practicalities, reports said earlier.

Some industry insiders noted that it may take some time for the KRX to launch a 12-hour trading system.

"The NXT was established in 2020 but took years to start operations. Given the time needed to test new systems and prevent possible disruptions, it will take time," an official from a local security firm said.

Yonhap