Korea Exchange Chairman Jeong Eun-bo said the KRX will push ahead with longer trading hours and a shorter stock settlement cycle as part of efforts to improve foreign investor access and strengthen the global competitiveness of South Korea’s capital market.
Speaking at The Korea Herald’s 2026 HIT Forum in Seoul on Tuesday, Jeong said the exchange is preparing to introduce a 24-hour trading framework in phases and a shift to T+1 settlement, under which stock trades are settled one business day after execution.
“With competition among major exchanges intensifying, global investors are constantly moving in search of attractive investment destinations,” Jeong said.
He said Korea’s capital market has reached an important turning point as domestic companies become more competitive globally and institutional reforms draw greater attention from investors at home and abroad.
Jeong argued that the market should move beyond its long-running focus on eliminating the “Korea discount,” a term referring to the persistent undervaluation of Korean stocks, and build an environment where companies are more fairly valued and foreign investors can participate more easily.
The KRX will also support government efforts to improve corporate value and shareholder returns, he said. Measures include encouraging listed companies to disclose Value-Up plans and promoting voluntary improvements among companies with low price-to-book ratios.
Jeong also put market integrity high on the exchange’s agenda. The KRX plans to upgrade its artificial intelligence-based surveillance system to detect increasingly sophisticated unfair trading practices, while accelerating the removal of financially distressed and marginal companies that undermine market soundness.
The reforms are intended to bring Korea’s market infrastructure closer to global standards while reinforcing investor confidence, Jeong said.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of Korea’s securities market and the 30th anniversary of both the Kosdaq and derivatives markets.
“When these foundations are in place, our capital market will be able to make a greater leap forward as a global market where capital and companies from around the world come together,” Jeong said.
mjh@heraldcorp.com
