Korean Stock Exchange (KRX)

The Korean Stock Exchange has operated independently from 1956 to the merger to form KRX in 2005. The KOSDAQ – or Korean Securities Dealers Automated Quotations – was established by the Korean Stock Exchange and is exceptionally close to the NASDAQ, its American counterpart.

Some of the most significant milestones of the Korean Stock Exchange include the formation of electronic trading and establishing the stock index options and futures market in the mid-90s. The Korean Stock Exchange is the place to trade stocks and bonds, and it comes with an interesting history. It was popular for the unification of smaller exchanges in the 1950s, evolving into a well-known trade centre that it is today. Based in Busan, this particular stock exchange is relatively young compared to other similarly-sized exchanges. 

In 1953, the Korea Stock Exchange, Korea Futures Exchange, and KOSDAQ came together and combined under the Korean Stock and Futures Exchange Act. This left one place for trading international and national interests: the Korea Exchange.

Since then, the company has grown exponentially and is worth over a trillion dollars.

The three leading indices that track performance on the Korean Stock Exchange are:

• KOSPI
• KOSDAQ
• KRX 100

The KOSPI has all of the common stocks that are traded across the Exchange and were introduced back in 1983. When it began, the base value of the KOSPI was 100, and today it stands at 2,500. The KOSPI has a daily trading volume that grows into shares in the hundreds of millions.

KOSDAQ is a well-known trading board for the Korean Stock Exchange and is based in South Korea. Established in 1996, it was an organisation initially set up by the Korea Financial Investment Association.

KRX 100 is a list of 100 companies that are listed on the Korean Stock Exchange. They include the big companies listed on KOSDAQ.