The KRX (Korea Exchange) in Seoul opens at 9:00 AM and closes at 3:30 PM KST (Korea Standard Time, UTC+9). There is no lunch break — the session has been continuous since December 2016. For traders based in Europe, the Korean session runs entirely during nighttime or early morning hours: it opens at 1:00 AM CET and closes at 7:30 AM CET in winter.
The benchmark index is the KOSPI (Korea Composite Stock Price Index), which tracks the largest companies listed on the Korean main market — including Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, Hyundai Motor and LG. The KRX also operates KOSDAQ, a second market focused on technology and growth companies.
Live status, 2026 calendar and Asia/Seoul timezone
Korea does not observe daylight saving time, which means the KST offset from CET/CEST varies by season.
| Phase | Local time (KST) | London (GMT/BST) | Paris (CET/CEST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-market | 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM | 12:00 AM – 1:00 AM / 1:00 AM – 2:00 AM | 1:00 AM – 2:00 AM / 2:00 AM – 3:00 AM |
| Regular session | 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM | 1:00 AM – 7:30 AM / 2:00 AM – 8:30 AM | 2:00 AM – 8:30 AM / 3:00 AM – 9:30 AM |
| After-hours | 3:40 PM – 6:00 PM | 7:40 AM – 10:00 AM / 8:40 AM – 11:00 AM | 8:40 AM – 11:00 AM / 9:40 AM – 12:00 PM |
The KRX uses MIC code XKRX. Pre-market consists of a batch auction for order collection. The regular session is continuous trading. After-hours offers single-price auctions at fixed intervals.
The KRX calendar includes both fixed public holidays and lunar-based festivals. Seollal (Korean New Year) and Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) dates shift each year according to the lunar calendar.
| Date | Holiday | Session |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday 1 January 2026 | New Year’s Day | Closed |
| Monday 16 February 2026 | Seollal (Korean New Year Eve) | Closed |
| Tuesday 17 February 2026 | Seollal (Korean New Year) | Closed |
| Wednesday 18 February 2026 | Seollal (Day After) | Closed |
| Monday 2 March 2026 | Independence Movement Day (in lieu — 1 March is Sunday) | Closed |
| Friday 1 May 2026 | Labour Day (new national holiday from 2026) | Closed |
| Tuesday 5 May 2026 | Children’s Day | Closed |
| Monday 25 May 2026 | Buddha’s Birthday (in lieu — 24 May is Sunday) | Closed |
| Monday 17 August 2026 | Liberation Day (in lieu — 15 August is Saturday) | Closed |
| Thursday 24 September 2026 | Chuseok Eve | Closed |
| Friday 25 September 2026 | Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) | Closed |
| Monday 5 October 2026 | National Foundation Day (in lieu — 3 October is Saturday) | Closed |
| Friday 9 October 2026 | Hangul Day (Korean alphabet commemoration) | Closed |
| Friday 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day | Closed |
When a public holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, Korea applies a substitute holiday on the next available weekday. Memorial Day (June 6) is the only major holiday with no substitute.
The KRX operates two distinct equity markets:
KOSPI (Korea Composite Stock Price Index) is the main market. It tracks all companies listed on the KOSPI division, weighted by free-float market capitalisation. The index is dominated by large industrial and technology conglomerates — Samsung Electronics alone can represent 20–30% of the total index weight depending on market conditions.
KOSDAQ is the growth market, positioned similarly to the Nasdaq in the US. It focuses on technology companies, biotechs and smaller high-growth firms. KOSDAQ components tend to be more volatile than KOSPI blue chips.
Both markets share the same trading hours and holiday calendar.
Technology and semiconductors. Samsung Electronics (memory chips, consumer electronics) and SK Hynix (DRAM, NAND) are global leaders in the semiconductor industry. These two companies are major suppliers to Apple, NVIDIA and the entire data center industry. Their share prices are closely correlated with global chip demand cycles.
Automotive. Hyundai Motor and Kia are expanding aggressively in Europe with their electric vehicle range (IONIQ, EV6). Korea is one of the few countries with a meaningful domestic automotive industry listed on a major exchange.
Batteries. LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI and SK Innovation are three of the world’s largest EV battery manufacturers. These companies have major European factory projects underway.
Shipbuilding. Korea dominates global shipbuilding. Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and Samsung Heavy Industries are the world’s largest shipyards. Order books reflect global LNG shipping and containership demand.
Financials. KB Financial Group, Shinhan Financial and Hana Financial are the main banking names. Korean banks are less prominent globally than the technology or industrial names.
Despite South Korea’s GDP per capita, technology infrastructure and financial market development, MSCI continues to classify Korea as an Emerging Market rather than a Developed Market. The reclassification debate has been ongoing for years. The main friction points cited by MSCI relate to foreign currency accessibility and investor identification requirements.
This classification matters because it determines which index funds hold Korean stocks. An MSCI EM reclassification to Developed Market would trigger significant rebalancing flows between EM funds and Developed Market funds.
There is no overlap between the KRX and major European exchanges during regular trading hours.
| Exchange | Local session | CET equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| KRX Seoul | 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM KST | 1:00 AM – 7:30 AM CET |
| Euronext Paris | 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM CET | 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM CET |
| XETRA Frankfurt | 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM CET | 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM CET |
The KRX session ends before European exchanges open. For European traders, the most practical exposure to Korean markets is through KOSPI-linked ETFs traded on Euronext during normal European hours, rather than direct KRX access.
ProRealTime provides historical KOSPI data for backtesting Korean equities. Try ProRealTime for free.
Is the KRX open today? Monday through Friday, except for the holidays listed above. The widget at the top of this page shows live status in real time.
What time does the KRX open? 9:00 AM KST, which is 1:00 AM CET in winter and 2:00 AM CEST in summer.
What time does the KRX close? 3:30 PM KST, which is 7:30 AM CET in winter and 8:30 AM CEST in summer.
Does Korea have daylight saving time? No. KST (UTC+9) is fixed year-round. The offset from European time changes each spring and autumn when Europe switches between CET and CEST.
Is there a lunch break on the KRX? No. The KRX eliminated its lunch break in December 2016. Trading is continuous from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM KST.
What is the KOSPI? The KOSPI (Korea Composite Stock Price Index) tracks all stocks listed on the KRX KOSPI market, weighted by free-float market capitalisation. It is the main benchmark for Korean equities. Samsung Electronics is typically the largest component.
What is Seollal? Seollal is the Korean Lunar New Year, equivalent to Chinese New Year. It is one of Korea’s most important public holidays. The KRX closes for three consecutive days: the day before Seollal, Seollal itself, and the day after. The exact dates shift each year based on the lunar calendar.
What is Chuseok? Chuseok is the Korean harvest festival, roughly equivalent to Thanksgiving. Like Seollal, it generates a three-day KRX closure. Chuseok falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month — usually in September or October.
Can I trade Korean stocks from Europe? Direct access to the KRX from a European broker is uncommon. The more accessible route is through ETFs that track the KOSPI or KOSDAQ, which trade on Euronext or XETRA during European hours. Some brokers also offer structured products on Korean indices.
Maxime holds two master’s degrees from the SKEMA Business School and FFBC. As founder and editor-in-chief of NewTrading.fr, he writes daily about financial trading.
