[Analyst: South Korean Exchange to Test Evening Trading Next Week, Assessing Global Demand] BlockBeats News, September 13 – South Korea's major stock exchange will extend trading hours into the evening next week, breaking the traditional Asian trading schedule in an effort to attract sustained demand from global investors. As part of its move toward the goal of '24-hour trading by December 2027,' the South Korean exchange will allow trading of nearly all local stocks until 8:00 PM starting Monday, compared to the previous regular closing time of 3:30 PM. This marks the first instance among major Asian exchanges but aligns with the global trend of round-the-clock markets. The new measure, set to launch next Monday, will test whether the exchange can maintain sufficient liquidity during extended trading hours and demonstrate whether investors truly need additional time—even as interest in South Korean stocks appears to be cooling. Edward Kim, Head of Korea Equity Sales at Bank of America, stated that this is 'another step in the ongoing evolution of South Korea's capital markets and their accessibility to global investors.' Youngjae Lee, Senior Investment Manager at London-based Barings Asset Management, commented: 'A longer trading window typically means more flexibility for investors, which makes the market more efficient. Investors with a stronger trading focus, higher turnover rates, or hedge fund-like strategies may use it more frequently.' (Jin10)