Live status, 2026 calendar and Asia/Seoul timezone
The Seoul Stock Exchange, officially the KRX (Korea Exchange), is South Korea’s main trading venue. It opens at 9:00 AM and closes at 3:30 PM Seoul time (KST, UTC+9), i.e. midnight to 6:30 AM London time in winter.
Its benchmark index is the KOSPI (Korea Composite Stock Price Index), which tracks the large Korean caps such as Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, Hyundai and LG. The KRX also hosts the KOSDAQ, the second market dedicated to tech stocks and SMEs.
The defining feature of the KRX is its morning slot: the session closes at 3:30 PM local time, well before the European markets open. For a European trader, the Korean session takes place entirely overnight or early in the morning.
The KRX operates in KST (Korea Standard Time, UTC+9). South Korea does not observe daylight saving time, so the offset with London is fixed at the source: Seoul is 9 hours ahead of London in winter (GMT) and 8 hours ahead in summer (BST).
The KRX has had no lunch break since 2000. The session is continuous from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM.
The Korean calendar includes lunar festivals (Seollal and Chuseok) whose dates change every year.
| Date | Holiday | Session |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday 1 January 2026 | New Year’s Day | Closed |
| Monday 16 February 2026 | Seollal (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 (observed) | Closed |
| Friday 1 May 2026 | Labour Day | Closed |
| Tuesday 5 May 2026 | Children’s Day | Closed |
| Monday 25 May 2026 | Buddha’s Birthday (observed) | Closed |
| Wednesday 3 June 2026 | Local Elections | Closed |
| Friday 17 July 2026 | Constitution Day (reinstated in 2026) | Closed |
| Monday 17 August 2026 | Liberation Day (observed) | Closed |
| Thursday 24 September 2026 | Chuseok (eve) | Closed |
| Friday 25 September 2026 | Chuseok | Closed |
| Monday 5 October 2026 | National Foundation Day (observed) | Closed |
| Friday 9 October 2026 | Hangul Day | Closed |
| Friday 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day | Closed |
| Thursday 31 December 2026 | Year-end closure | Closed |
Several holidays falling on a weekend are moved to the following Monday. Two new entries in 2026: the local elections on 3 June and the reinstatement of Constitution Day (17 July). The KRX also closes on the last trading day of the year, 31 December.
The KRX is part of the Asian block. Here is how it lines up against the region’s other major venues:
| Exchange | Open | Close | Benchmark | Timezone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇰🇷 KRX (Seoul) | 9:00 AM | 3:30 PM | KOSPI | KST (UTC+9) |
| 🇯🇵 Tokyo (JPX) | 9:00 AM | 3:30 PM | Nikkei 225 | JST (UTC+9) |
| 🇨🇳 Shanghai (SSE) | 9:30 AM | 3:00 PM | SSE Composite | CST (UTC+8) |
| 🇭🇰 Hong Kong (HKEX) | 9:30 AM | 4:00 PM | Hang Seng | HKT (UTC+8) |
| 🇸🇬 Singapore (SGX) | 9:00 AM | 5:00 PM | STI | SGT (UTC+8) |
| 🇦🇺 Sydney (ASX) | 10:00 AM | 4:00 PM | ASX 200 | AEST/AEDT (UTC+10/+11) |
Since the Korean session runs overnight for Europe, its key moments are internal to the market: the open, the run-up to the close, and the reaction to the prior US session.
The KRX runs three equity markets:
KOSPI. The name refers to both the main market and its benchmark index, the Korea Composite Stock Price Index, comparable to the CAC 40. Samsung Electronics is by far its largest component. The dominant sectors are electronics, automotive, petrochemicals and finance.
KOSDAQ. The second market, and its index, is comparable to a Korean NASDAQ. It concentrates tech stocks, biotechs and high-growth SMEs, generally more volatile.
KONEX. A third, smaller market dedicated to SMEs and start-ups in their growth phase.
All three markets share the same trading hours.
South Korea is Asia’s 4th-largest economy. Its companies are global players in several sectors.
The Korean market is classified as an “emerging market” by MSCI, even though its level of economic development exceeds that of some “developed” markets. An upgrade to “developed market” status is regularly discussed.
The Korean session takes place entirely overnight for a European trader. There is no overlap with the European session.
| Market | Seoul time | London time (winter) | London time (summer) |
|---|---|---|---|
| KRX (Seoul) | 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM | midnight – 6:30 AM | 1:00 – 7:30 AM |
| LSE (London) | 5:00 PM – 1:30 AM | 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM | 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM |
For a European trader wanting exposure to Korean stocks, the usual approach is to use ETFs (such as KOSPI ETFs listed in Europe) or certificates on Korean indices during European trading hours, rather than trading the KRX directly overnight.
Monday to Friday, except for Korean public holidays. The widget at the top of this page shows live status.
Midnight London time in winter (GMT) and 1:00 AM in summer (BST). The KRX session opens at 9:00 AM local time (KST).
6:30 AM London time in winter, 7:30 AM in summer. The Korean session closes at 3:30 PM KST.
The KOSPI (Korea Composite Stock Price Index) is the benchmark index of the Seoul Stock Exchange. It tracks all the stocks listed on the KRX main market, weighted by market capitalisation. Samsung Electronics is its largest component.
No. The KRX removed its lunch break in 2000. The session is continuous from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM KST.
No. The KST zone (UTC+9) is fixed all year. The offset with London therefore varies with the European season: 9 hours in winter, 8 hours in summer.
Few European brokers offer direct access to the KRX. The most accessible alternative is to use ETFs tracking the KOSPI or the KOSDAQ, available in Europe during normal trading hours.
Seollal is the Korean lunar New Year, the equivalent of the Chinese New Year. It is a major holiday in South Korea: the KRX closes for three consecutive days. The dates change every year according to the lunar calendar.
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.
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