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Number of Kospi-listed firms required to disclose English-language filings to increase starting May

Published: 28 Jan. 2026, 19:57

The Korea Exchange's building in Yeouido, western Seoul, is seen in this file photo from November 2025. [YONHAP]

The number of Kospi-listed companies required to file key regulatory disclosures in English will more than double starting in May, the main bourse operator said on Wednesday.

The move comes after the Financial Services Commission approved the changes at a regular meeting earlier in the day, according to the Korea Exchange (KRX).

Beginning in May, companies listed on the benchmark Kospi with at least 2 trillion won ($1.4 billion) in assets will be required to provide English-language filings on 55 areas, including shareholder meetings and investment activities.

This will bring the number of companies required to disclose regulatory filings in English from the current 111 to 265.

The move marks the second phase of a three-phase rollout aimed at improving foreign investors' access to domestic companies.

The third phase, which requires all Kospi-listed companies to disclose filings in English, will take effect starting March 2027, about one year earlier than the original schedule of May 2028.

Additionally, Kospi-listed companies with assets exceeding 10 trillion won will be required to disclose a corresponding English-language filing on the same day they release a Korean-language one, the KRX added.

“To ensure a smooth transition, the KRX will strengthen local companies' capabilities to report regulatory disclosures in English through efforts such as translation services and training programs,” the bourse operator said in a release.

The early adoption of new filing requirements reflects heightened interest in the local stock market from foreign investors. Offshore investors were major net buyers in the local stock market last year, leading a rally that pushed the Kospi index up by more than 75 percent.

Yonhap