[Digital Today reporter Ji-young Lee] Korea Exchange has adjusted the timing of its securities market pre-market launch to the end of 2027. Reflecting brokerages’ burdens in IT development and staffing, it will link the pre-market to the development timeline for a single system, while pushing ahead with the after-market in September as planned.

Korea Exchange said on June 19 it is adjusting the schedule for launching the securities market pre-market and after-market.

The exchange has been seeking to extend trading hours to respond to liquidity competition from major overseas exchanges such as the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq.

The exchange had previously delayed the launch once, from June 2026 to September 2026, to secure time for system development. But it decided to adjust the implementation schedule again as industry burdens continued to be raised during the process.

Under the new plan, the pre-market will be postponed to the end of 2027. It will be 추진 along with the development timeline of a single-board structure, a single system in which unfilled orders are carried over across the pre-market, regular session and after-market.

The after-market is being pursued for implementation on Sept. 14, 2026. The exchange explained that many views said there were no problems with proceeding with the after-market on the existing schedule. The specific implementation date will be decided through working-level consultations with brokerages.

Along with extending trading hours, the exchange plans to proceed without disruption with shortening the settlement cycle. The United States and Canada shortened the settlement cycle to T+1 from T+2 in May 2024, and the United Kingdom and Europe are also set to shorten it in October 2027.