Korea's Bourses Merged into KRX
- Places 7th globally in terms of listed companies

The Korea Exchange (KRX), a merger of the Korea Stock Exchange, the Korea Futures Exchange and the Kosdaq Stock Market, has been inaugurated at the newly moved headquarters in Busan, Korea's southernmost port city.
The launch of KRX represents an advanced market with a global competitive edge nearly half century since March 3, 1956 when Korea's first public financial market made its debut.
As KRX ranks seventh in the world in terms of the umber of listed companies and places 10th in terms of the aggregate value of listed stock, Korea has emerged as one of Northeast Asia financial hubs.
Before the merger, the Korea Stock Exchange placed 15th with 683 listed companies, lower than Taiwan's 702. Its consolidation with the Kosdaq Stock Market raised the number of listed firms to 1,573, beating Asian rival exchanges, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, Shanghai and Osaka, and going up eight notches to the Big Seven League in the world. The prospects of KRX's entering the Big Five Group are bright in a few years, analysts said. KRX ranked 16th by raising the aggregate value of listed stock shot up to $428.6 billion from $398.5 billion before the merger.
Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan said in his speech to the inauguration ceremony, "Now that the separately run markets and functions have been merged, it would bring about efficient operation of stock and futures markets."
The consolidation is significant in that it represents a big step in advancement of balanced national development as administrative, financial and educational and cultural roles, now concentrated on the Seoul Metropolitan area, have been decentralized, he said.
KRX is now able to compete with foreign counterparts due to the realization of the economy of scale, Lee said.
Lee Young-tak, KRX chairman, said in his speech, "KRX will do its best in bringing about synergy effects by normalizing its operations at the earliest possible date, thus contributing to development of the regional economy of Busan." nw