▲ MSCI (Morgan Stanley Capital International)
Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) assessed on June 19 that the availability of investment products in the South Korean stock market has improved.
In its annual market accessibility review, released ahead of the announcement of its annual market classification results next week, MSCI upgraded its assessment of investment product availability in the Korean stock market from "minus" (needs improvement) to "plus."
MSCI stated, "Derivatives linked to Korean indices have been launched on international exchanges, broadening the range of investment products available to international investors."
The South Korean stock market received a "minus" rating in 6 out of 18 evaluation categories last year. This year, with the investment product availability category shifting to "plus," the number of "minus" categories has decreased to 5.
However, the "minus" rating remains for the following areas: foreign exchange market liberalization, investor registration and account opening, information flow, clearing and settlement, and securities transferability.
MSCI pointed out, "The Korean authorities have continued to implement the reform agenda introduced in the previous year and have announced additional measures across several areas," but added, "However, fundamental accessibility issues remain unresolved."
MSCI, a global index provider, classifies stock markets around the world into developed, emerging, frontier, and standalone markets to operate its indices.
Currently, 23 countries, including the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom, are included in the developed market index, while South Korea is classified in the emerging market index alongside countries such as China and India.
MSCI is scheduled to announce its annual market reclassification results on June 24 (KST).
If a country is placed on the watch list for potential inclusion at that time, the earliest possible timeline for an inclusion announcement would be June 2027, with the actual inclusion taking effect at the end of May 2028.
(Photo: Screenshot from MSCI website, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.