Trading hours for the stock, foreign exchange and derivative markets have been extended by 30 minutes in South Korea beginning Monday.
 
Trading in the South Korean stock market will run from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
 
After-hours trading will be shortened by 30 minutes and will run from 3:40 p.m. to 6 p.m.
 
The overall closing time will remain unchanged at 6 p.m.
 
It is the first time that trading hours have changed in South Korea since the lunch hour break was suspended in 2000.
 
The Korea Exchange has pursued the extension as it believes that the shorter trading hours compared with foreign markets have hampered more active trading.
 
Analysts expect that the extension will boost the value of transactions by five to six percent.