South Korea launched a 24‑hour FX trading mechanism for the won; first‑day trading was orderly. Broker data showed USD/KRW spot turnover around $15.1 bln, roughly 6% below the 30‑day daily average. Trading hours were extended from 17 to 24 hours to close the previous gap with New York; volume concentrated in Seoul’s regular session while London and New York remained thin. The won is still more than 2% stronger than its weakest level since 2009. The change represents an unprecedented loosening of

South Korea launched a 24‑hour FX trading mechanism for the won; first‑day trading was orderly. Broker data showed USD/KRW spot turnover around $15.1 bln, roughly 6% below the 30‑day daily average. Trading hours were extended from 17 to 24 hours to close the previous gap with New York; volume concentrated in Seoul’s regular session while London and New York remained thin. The won is still more than 2% stronger than its weakest level since 2009. The change represents an unprecedented loosening of won controls and signals a policy shift away from the post‑1997 framework as Seoul seeks to shed emerging‑market status and attract more global capital.