KRX is soliciting bids for a research project to assess the market impact of a
surge in high-frequency trading (HFT) and to explore regulatory options, the
exchange said on the 20th. Bids are due on the 27th and the study is slated for
completion in H2. HFT uses sub-second, fully automated order flow and is heavily
used by foreign institutional investors for latency arbitrage; its profitability
rises as securities transaction taxes fall. Concerns that increased HFT could
disrupt markets have persisted since South Korea cut the securities transaction
tax in 2019. KRX said the study will inform a regulatory framework; existing
risk controls include a 2023 registration regime for high-speed algorithmic
traders and a batch-order cancellation circuit breaker.