Korea Exchange Launches Evening Trading to Attract Global Investors

The Korea Exchange launched a new evening trading session on September 14, 2026, extending hours for approximately 2,400 Kospi and Kosdaq stocks. The new window runs from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., following the regular 3:30 p.m. close. This initiative aims to attract international capital, particularly from European investors, and capitalize on a 64% rise in the Kospi driven by a rally in AI memory chips.

The extended session permits short selling but excludes exchange-traded funds. This move is part of a broader strategic roadmap toward 24-hour trading, which includes plans to introduce pre-market hours by the end of 2027. The shift follows a global trend toward around-the-clock markets in the U.S. and responds to competition from Nextrade, an alternative trading system that introduced its own pre-market and evening sessions in March 2025.

Market analysts have expressed concerns that the extension may redistribute existing liquidity rather than create new volume. They warn that thin order books during evening hours could lead to erratic price swings, distorted pricing, and increased operational costs for brokerages and currency hedging costs for foreign funds.