When Does the KOSPI Open in EST? Korean Stock Market Hours in Eastern Time
The short answer: the KOSPI opens at 9:00 a.m. Korea Standard Time. In US Eastern Time, that is 8:00 PM EDT through October 31, 2026, and 7:00 PM EST from November 1, 2026, on the evening before the Korean trading day.
The KOSPI is the main index of the Korea Exchange (KRX) in Seoul. It includes large companies such as Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and Hyundai Motor. The smaller KOSDAQ market trades on the same schedule.
Korea Exchange hours in Eastern Time
Korea Standard Time (KST) is UTC+9 all year. Korea does not observe daylight saving time.
| Session | Korea time (KST) | In EDT (summer) | In EST (winter) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening auction order entry | 8:30–9:00 a.m. | 7:30–8:00 PM | 6:30–7:00 PM |
| Regular session opens | 9:00 a.m. | 8:00 PM | 7:00 PM |
| Closing auction | 3:20–3:30 p.m. | 2:20–2:30 AM | 1:20–1:30 AM |
| Regular session closes | 3:30 p.m. | 2:30 AM | 1:30 AM |
| KRX after-market | 4:00–8:00 p.m. | 3:00–7:00 AM | 2:00–6:00 AM |
EDT applies from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November. EST applies the rest of the year. In 2026, US clocks fall back on Sunday, November 1.
What changes on November 1?
Korea keeps the same clock all year, so the change happens entirely on the US side. On Sunday, November 1, 2026, US clocks move back one hour. From the next Korean trading day, the KOSPI open appears one hour earlier on an Eastern Time clock: 7:00 PM instead of 8:00 PM.
The reverse happens on Sunday, March 14, 2027, when the open moves back to 8:00 PM EDT.
Why KOSPI opens the night before
Seoul is 13 hours ahead of New York during US daylight time and 14 hours ahead during standard time. When the Korean market opens on Tuesday morning, it is still Monday evening in New York.
This means Monday's session in Seoul starts on Sunday evening in the US. Investors in the US often see Korean stocks react to weekend news before US markets open.
The new KRX after-market session
On September 14, 2026, the Korea Exchange began a continuous after-market session from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Korea time. It replaced the earlier 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. session, which matched orders in periodic single-price auctions. According to The Korea Times, the session accepts limit orders only, and exchange-traded funds and notes were initially excluded.
The after-market runs from 3:00 AM to 7:00 AM EDT, or 2:00 AM to 6:00 AM EST. The KRX has said it is working toward longer trading hours, so check its notices for further changes.
Korea also has an alternative trading venue, Nextrade, which opened in 2025 and runs its own pre-market and after-market sessions for a selection of stocks. Whether you can use those sessions depends on your broker.
Days when the schedule changes
The Korea Exchange is closed on Korean public holidays, including the multi-day Lunar New Year (Seollal) and Chuseok holidays. It is also closed on the last business day of the year.
On the day of the national college entrance exam (the CSAT, held each November), the exchange has in recent years delayed both the open and close by one hour, to 10:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Korea time. The KRX also opens late on the first trading day of the year. The exchange announces these adjustments in advance.
Following KOSPI from the US
US investors can track Korean stocks during New York hours through US-listed funds such as the iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (EWY). Such a fund trades while Seoul is closed, so its price can move on news before the Korean market reopens. Its price can then differ from the next KOSPI move.
For the hours of other Asian and European markets, see our World stock market hours in Eastern Time guide.
Published October 19, 2026. Times reflect the Korea Exchange's published regular and after-market sessions as of that date. Educational information only, not investment advice.