Key Highlights
- KRX Chairman Jeong Eun-bo is pushing to expand Korea’s stock market trading day, starting with pre-market and after-hours sessions to create a 12-hour window
- In a major change, South Korea’s Financial Services Commission (FSC) is integrating cryptocurrency into traditional finance by approving spot crypto ETFs, following a regulatory roadmap established in 2025
- With these new reforms, South Korea’s authority plans to follow the global trend
The head of the nation’s stock exchange has made a firm promise to move ahead with a major development in the trading rules. Korea Exchange (KRX) Chairman Jeong Eun-bo has declared to extend daily stock trading hours and enhance the local capital market.
BREAKING 🚀 South Korea’s main exchange is operationally ready for crypto ETFs, pushing forward as regulators deliberate.
KRX Chairman Jeong Eun-bo announced plans to expand into crypto ETFs and derivatives, framing it as a move to overcome the Korea discount in traditional… pic.twitter.com/f1xwYJ68xO
— KOLYAN TREND (@kolyan_trend) January 2, 2026
He explained a thought behind this development, saying that this plan is important for South Korea to compete on the global stage and attract more investment. His statement has also sparked euphoria in the crypto community, as Jeong Eun-bo also mentioned the name of digital asset ETFs.
South Korea Gears Up to Follow the Global Market Trend
In a local report, Chairman Jeong Eun-bo explained that the currency trading window, which runs from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Korea Standard Time, is too short. He pointed to major financial centers like New York and London, where exchanges are open for longer periods.
This difference, he argued, puts Korean investors and companies at a disadvantage, causing them to miss out on opportunities.
“Our capital market is on pace for normalization, with the benchmark KOSPI breaking the 4,000-mark point and other market indexes, such as PER (price-to-earnings ratio), showing signs of improvement. The local capital market should overcome the ‘Korea Discount’ and advance into the premium market,” Jeong said.
The KRX plan includes a step-by-step process. The first phase will introduce pre-market and after-hours trading sessions. The purpose is to expand active trading toward a 12-hour day initially. The long-term vision, however, is even more ambitious, which is a system that allows trading 24 hours a day. To make this possible, the KRX has been building the required technical systems since early 2026.
South Korea Links Reforms to Cryptocurrency Integration
One of the major highlights of this modernization is the formal embrace of cryptocurrency markets. In June 2025, the Financial Services Commission (FSC) laid out a detailed plan to approve spot crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs). This was a major policy shift, where the country is moving away from the strict bans on crypto that began in 2017.
The FSC roadmap is expected to create rules for how these new crypto ETFs would operate, focusing on safe custody of assets, clear valuation methods, and strong investor protection. By the middle of 2026, many spot crypto ETFs had already received approval and launched, which drew strong interest from local investors. Officials believe this framework will help blend cryptocurrency with traditional finance, which could bring more capital into the Korean market.
These reforms follow global trends, mainly set by the United States. Since the major approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs in the U.S. in January 2024, demand has soared. By December 2025, these U.S. funds had gathered over $57.7 billion in new money, with total managed assets surpassing $103 billion. Major financial firms like BlackRock and Grayscale have reported steady investments into their products, even during times of market volatility.
This institutional adoption is becoming a major force in the expansion of the crypto market. Reports suggest that a majority of large investors plan to increase their crypto allocations in 2026. Ether ETFs have also performed impressively, contributing to a record year where crypto ETFs attracted tens of billions in fresh capital globally.
Some analysts mention that supportive regulations have sped up approvals, with over 100 new crypto-linked ETFs expected in 2026 alone.
Pilot programs for extended trading sessions, started by December 2026, have shown increases in market liquidity, with big institutions taking part. This is also good news for everyday retail investors, who will gain more flexibility to trade, especially in response to overnight news from the U.S. markets. Preliminary data indicate trading volumes have risen about 15% since the partial extensions began.
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