South Korea’s first alternative stock trading platform, Nextrade, began operations on Tuesday, introducing extended 12-hour trading and lower fees to enhance market efficiency. The platform, which runs from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., offers a longer trading window than the Korea Exchange (KRX), which operates from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Nextrade also introduces different bid-ask pricing and allows short selling, with restrictions during pre-market and after-market hours. Initially launching with 10 listed firms, the platform plans to expand to 800 within a month. Officials expect Nextrade to drive competition, enhance corporate value, and contribute to the country’s stock market growth, with regulatory safeguards such as price limits and circuit breakers mirroring those of the KRX.