South Korea's extended trading hours for won-dollar trading began smoothly, with sufficient liquidity and no significant increase in volatility, according to the country's financial authorities. The trading hours for dollar-won have been extended from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m., aiming to enhance the currency's tradability and accessibility to global investors. Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok and Bank of Korea Deputy Gov. Ryoo Sang-dai visited the foreign exchange dealing room of KEB Hana Bank headquarters to inspect the first day of extended trading hours, emphasizing the goal of developing openness and competitiveness in the forex market. The total spot trading volume on the first day of extended trading hours reached $12.57 billion, with the average trading volume per hour during the extended hours standing at $230 million. Despite concerns about increased volatility, the market maintained ample liquidity and a narrow bid-ask spread. The extended trading hours are part of the government's efforts to advance the domestic foreign exchange market and increase accessibility for foreign investors, with potential benefits including improved market accessibility for investors and a decrease in the price difference between onshore and offshore exchange rates in the long term. Additionally, the longer trading hours are seen as a step towards Korea's potential inclusion in the FTSE World Government Bond Index, a global major bond index, in September.