Korea Securities Depository to Open New York Office
The Depository plans to open its first overseas office since 2011 in New York in June 2027 to support custody and settlement operations.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Investing
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Korea Securities Depository will open a New York office in June 2027, its first overseas office since the Hong Kong office opened in May 2011. The office will start with three staff and support overseas securities custody and settlement operations.
Why it matters
The move responds to the rapid growth of domestic investors' overseas holdings, which reached $200.2 billion in U.S. stocks in early October, up from about $8.4 billion at the end of 2019. The office is also intended to strengthen cooperation with local U.S. financial institutions.
Domestic investors held $200.2 billion in U.S. stocks in early October, up from roughly $8.4 billion at the end of 2019. The source does not state how holdings are expected to move after the New York office opens.
The players
Korea Securities Depository
South Korea's central securities depository, which handles custody and settlement of securities for the domestic market.
The details
The Depository plans to finalize dispatched personnel this month and proceed with visa issuance, with the New York office opening in June next year. The office will support overseas securities custody and settlement and deepen ties with U.S. financial institutions.
Timeline
May 2011: Hong Kong office opened, the Depository's previous overseas office.
End of 2019: Domestic U.S. stock holdings were about $8.4 billion.
November 2026: Dispatched personnel to be finalized this month.
Within 2026: Lease contract for the local office expected to be signed.
June 2027: New York office scheduled to open.
Market Dynamics
The New York office follows the Depository's 2011 Hong Kong opening, its only prior overseas expansion, and extends that footprint to the U.S., where domestic holdings have grown sharply since 2019. The move reflects the broader pattern of Korean investors increasing their exposure to U.S. equities.
Domestic investors holding U.S. stocks may see the New York office add support for custody and settlement of those holdings once it opens. The office is not expected to change how individual investors buy or sell shares in the near term.
The takeaway
Overseas holdings are growing quickly, and infrastructure built to handle them is following. Investors tracking U.S. exposure may want to watch how custody and settlement services develop as the New York office opens.
What happens next
The Depository intends to sign a local office lease within 2026 and open the New York office in June 2027.
Further reading
For more on how overseas holdings are reshaped by market access, see Investing.
Source note: This article includes information reported by 조선일보.
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