Won Trading Volume Surges Post-Extended Hours
AI-generated context summary requested by a Free News Reader user. Sourced via Gemini from publicly available information — no paywalled content was accessed.
You hit a paywall. Here’s the context on this topic based on publicly available information. We did not access any paywalled content. View original article.
Won Trading Volume Surges Post-Extended Hours
- Daily trading volume for the South Korean won against the dollar averaged approximately $18.6 billion between July 6 and July 16, a 16% increase from the prior 30-day average.
- The surge in volume follows South Korea's launch of 24-hour won trading on July 6, a reform aimed at enhancing market accessibility and supporting its bid for developed-market status from MSCI Inc.
Full Summary — powered by AI
South Korea initiated 24-hour trading for its currency, the won, against the U.S. dollar on July 6, 2026, marking a significant reform in its foreign exchange market. This move extends the trading window from the previous 17 hours, which included a seven-hour break that overlapped with U.S. trading hours. The reform is part of South Korea’s broader strategy to improve market accessibility for international investors and aims to secure an upgrade to MSCI’s Developed Markets Index.
Since the implementation of 24-hour trading, daily dollar-won spot trading volume has seen a notable increase. From July 6 to July 16, the average daily volume was approximately $18.6 billion, representing about a 16% rise compared to the average daily volume in the 30 days before July 6.
The increased trading activity has been partly attributed to foreign investors selling shares of South Korean chipmakers. This comes amidst a period where foreign investors have been net sellers of South Korean equities, despite strong corporate earnings in the semiconductor sector.