Interactive Brokers Adds Nextrade ATS Access for Korean Equities

Interactive Brokers announced on 30 June that it has launched access to select Korean equities through Nextrade, South Korea’s first alternative trading system.

The broker said the launch builds on its earlier Korea Exchange access and adds IB SmartRouting across both KRX and Nextrade, with orders routed to the venue offering the best available price. Interactive Brokers said Nextrade gives clients access to additional liquidity and significantly extended trading hours.

Nextrade offers access to about 650 KOSPI and KOSDAQ securities and operates a 12-hour trading window from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Korea Standard Time. Interactive Brokers lists three Nextrade sessions: pre-market from 8:00 to 8:50 a.m., standard trading from 9:00 a.m. to 3:20 p.m., and after-market trading from 3:30 to 8:00 p.m.

The broker said access is not available to Korean residents, and product availability depends on the Interactive Brokers affiliate and the client’s country of residence.

Why it matters

For global equity traders, the practical change is broader access to Korean shares and more flexibility around local market hours. Extended Korean trading can matter for investors reacting to U.S. or European market moves, semiconductor-sector news, currency shifts or company-specific developments outside the standard KRX session.

The routing detail is also important. If SmartRouting can compare KRX and Nextrade prices effectively, traders may see better venue selection than a manual single-venue workflow.

What to watch next

Watch how liquidity develops on Nextrade, whether Interactive Brokers expands the covered security list, and how trading platforms display venue, fee and execution-quality information for Korean orders routed between KRX and Nextrade.