What changed in South Korea’s KRX after-hours stock trading session on Monday?

The KRX launched its first after-hours session, letting investors trade KOSPI and Kosdaq stocks in real time from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The new session followed the regular 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. market and covered most listed stocks on the two markets.

Why did the KRX expand stock trading hours to the evening?

A KRX official said the change is aimed at laying the foundation for competition with global markets. The official pointed to major U.S. exchanges, including Nasdaq, which are set to begin 23-hour trading by the end of this year to attract liquidity.

$1.33 bil. traded in first KRX after-hours stock trading session

Q: Which securities were excluded from the new KRX after-hours session, and what market rules still applied?

Investors were barred from trading ETFs and ETNs during the four-hour session because of concerns about market volatility. Daily stock price limits and market stabilization measures such as circuit breakers also remained in effect.

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Summary

South Korea’s first KRX after-hours stock trading session drew 1.8 trillion won in trades on Monday. The new four-hour session ran from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. for KOSPI and Kosdaq stocks, following the regular market close. The KRX said the move is meant to help lay the groundwork for competition with global markets. ETFs and ETNs were excluded because of volatility concerns, and daily price limits and circuit breakers also applied.

Key Facts

During the four-hour after-hours session, 72.24 million shares worth 1.82 trillion won changed hands on the two markets.
The regular session from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. saw 900 million shares worth 25.8 trillion won traded.
The after-hours session had previously been available only on Nextrade from 3:40 p.m. to 8 p.m.
On Monday, 12.17 million shares worth 1.78 trillion won were traded on the Nextrade platform.
The KRX official said the move was aimed at laying the foundation for competition with global markets as major U.S. exchanges move toward longer trading hours.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 15, 2026 12:12 am KST
Updated Sep 15, 2026 5:52 pm KST

The Korea Exchange (KRX) in Yeouido, Seoul, is seen with its after-hours market open on Monday. Yonhap

A total of 1.8 trillion won ($1.33 billion) worth of stocks were traded during South Korea's first after-hours stock trading session Monday, the Korea Exchange (KRX) said.

On the first day of the new session, investors were able to trade stocks listed on the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) and the tech-heavy Kosdaq in real time for four hours from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., following the regular 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. trading session, according to the KRX.

"With major U.S. stock exchanges, such as Nasdaq, set to begin 23-hour trading by the end of this year to attract liquidity, the move is aimed at laying the foundation for competition with global markets," a KRX official said.

During the four-hour session, a total of 72.24 million shares worth 1.82 trillion won changed hands on the two markets, accounting for 8.03 percent and 7.05 percent, respectively, of the 900 million shares worth 25.8 trillion won traded during the regular session from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Until Friday, after-hours stock trading was available only on the alternative trading system Nextrade (NXT) from 3:40 p.m. to 8 p.m.

On Monday, a total of 12.17 million shares worth 1.78 trillion won were traded on the NXT platform.

Unlike the NXT platform, where the number of stocks available for trading has been limited to 600, most stocks listed on the two markets became available for trading during the new four-hour after-hours session.

However, investors are barred from trading exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and exchange-traded notes (ETNs) during the four-hour session due to concerns about market volatility.

Daily stock price limits and market stabilization measures, such as circuit breakers, also apply to the after-hours session.

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