South Korea's Ministry of Economy and Finance holds Hong Kong and Singapore investor meetings on foreign exchange and capital market reforms

South Korea's Ministry of Economy and Finance conducted investor outreach in Hong Kong and Singapore, holding individual meetings with BlackRock, BNY Mellon, Citi, JP Morgan, Northern Trust and State Street to gather market views on Korea’s capital markets and the government’s foreign exchange and capital market reform agenda, including the MSCI roadmap announced in January. The institutions described Korea as an important market in global asset allocation and positively assessed the smooth progress of Korea’s WGBI inclusion since April despite increased uncertainty in international financial markets. Market participants also endorsed the government’s ongoing efforts to improve access for overseas investors, while calling for stronger focus on implementation effectiveness. Feedback emphasised the need for readiness across global and domestic custodians, intermediaries and other market participants, more granular checks by investment route, and continued communication to enhance policy predictability and acceptance, alongside broader participation by global investors in the reform process. The ministry indicated it will work with relevant domestic agencies to reflect the input, review foreign investors’ operational frictions and strengthen working-level engagement as reforms proceed.