South Korea's Korea Exchange has extended regular trading hours into the evening, pushing the closing bell to 8 p.m. from 3:30 p.m., giving overseas investors access during European business hours.
The extension covers approximately 2,400 stocks listed on the Kospi and Kosdaq indices. Short selling is permitted during the extended session, while exchange-traded funds remain excluded for now.
The move follows the success of Nextrade, an alternative trading platform that introduced pre-market and evening sessions in March 2025. Nextrade captured nearly a third of total trading activity within months of launch, with retail investors accounting for more than 80% of volume outside regular hours.
Looking ahead, the Korea Exchange plans to introduce pre-market trading by the end of 2027 as part of a longer-term goal toward round-the-clock trading. The exchange has cited competitiveness with major venues such as Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange as a key rationale.
The announcement comes as the Kospi remains up 64% year to date in 2026, though it has fallen 22% from its peak reached in July. The market's surge has been driven largely by investor enthusiasm around artificial intelligence.
