How to Buy Korean Stocks by Broker: IBKR, Fidelity, Schwab, Robinhood, UK
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As of October 2026, Interactive Brokers is the only broker we checked among the large US and UK retail platforms that lets you buy shares directly on KRX (Korea Exchange). It offers this through its US, Canadian, UK, European, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australian entities. Fidelity, Charles Schwab, Robinhood and the main UK platforms do not list Korea among their markets. With those brokers, you invest in Korea through US-listed Korean ADRs (American depositary receipts) or Korea ETFs, or, in the UK, through a London-listed Korea fund.
In short
- Direct Seoul shares: Interactive Brokers (IBKR) since May 7, 2026, with Nextrade, Korea’s alternative trading venue, added on June 30, 2026. The service is not open to residents of Korea or to clients of IBKR’s Japanese and Indian entities.
- No direct Korea access as of October 2026: Fidelity (25 international markets), the Schwab Global Account (12 markets) and Robinhood, which says it does not support foreign shares. The same applies to Hargreaves Lansdown, interactive investor, AJ Bell, Trading 212, Freetrade and Saxo UK.
- In a US account you can buy nine Korean ADRs, including SK hynix (SKHY) since July 2026, and Korea ETFs such as EWY and FLKR.
- UK retail investors cannot buy US-listed ETFs such as EWY. A London-listed UCITS fund (a fund that meets EU/UK retail rules) such as the iShares MSCI Korea UCITS ETF (CSKR) is the usual alternative.
- You do not need a Korean investor ID. Korea abolished the registration requirement on December 14, 2023.
Which brokers let you buy Korean shares directly?
There are three routes. You can buy the shares themselves on KRX, in Korean won (KRW), through a broker that holds an omnibus account at a Korean securities firm, meaning a single account in the broker’s name that pools its clients’ orders. You can buy ADRs, US-dollar securities that represent Seoul shares and trade on the NYSE or Nasdaq. Or you can buy a Korea fund. Some Korean shares also have thinly traded US over-the-counter (OTC) quotes.
Among the large Western retail brokers we checked, only IBKR offered the first route in October 2026. In Asia, Futu Securities in Hong Kong, which runs the Futubull and moomoo apps, opened Korean stocks to all its customers in July 2026 through Hana Securities. moomoo’s Singapore website says moomoo SG now offers Korean stock trading. Our guide on how to buy Korean stocks lists the known omnibus partnerships and explains direct non-resident accounts at Korean brokers.
How do you buy Korean stocks on Interactive Brokers?
IBKR launched access to KRX-listed equities on May 7, 2026. Korean press reports that it trades through an omnibus arrangement with Samsung Securities. IBKR’s Korea Exchange pages say the service is not available to residents of Korea or to clients of IBKR’s India and Japan entities.
Existing clients switch it on in Client Portal under User > Settings > Trading Permissions > Stocks by selecting “Korea (Republic of)”. IBKR’s announcement says they should enable KRX market data as well. New clients can apply online. At launch IBKR spoke of more than 2,700 listed securities. Its Korea Exchange page in October 2026 says “1,800+”. On June 30, 2026 IBKR added Nextrade, which lists about 650 KOSPI and KOSDAQ stocks and trades from 08:00 to 20:00 KST (Korea Standard Time). IBKR’s SmartRouting sends each order to whichever of the two venues shows the better price.
Costs. IBKR publishes only a tiered commission for Korea; its fixed-rate plan is not offered there. The rate is 0.06% of trade value, with a minimum of KRW 4,000 per order, for monthly volume up to KRW 2.25 billion. It falls in steps to 0.03% above KRW 135 billion a month. KRX and Nextrade exchange, clearing and regulatory fees are listed separately. IBKR quotes currency conversion commissions “as low as” 0.20 basis points (0.002%) of the trade value. Korea’s securities transaction tax on sales and its dividend withholding tax apply whichever broker you use. See Korean stock taxes for foreigners.
Practical points. The KRX regular session runs 09:00–15:30 KST. That is 00:00–06:30 in London (01:00–07:30 in British Summer Time) and 19:00–01:30 in New York (20:00–02:30 in US daylight saving time); see our Korean market hours guide. Korean shares are identified by six-digit codes, such as 005930 for Samsung Electronics; see our ticker guide. Omnibus accounts cannot yet trade Korean-listed ETFs. In September 2026 Money Today reported that regulators had amended the rules to add ETFs and ETNs, excluding leveraged and inverse products, with trading expected from January 1, 2027.
Can you buy Korean stocks on Fidelity?
Not directly. Fidelity’s international trading covers 25 markets and 16 currencies, and South Korea is not one of them. In Asia-Pacific the list covers Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand and Singapore. Only non-retirement brokerage accounts can trade internationally, so IRAs are excluded even for the markets Fidelity does offer.
Fidelity customers can buy the Korean ADRs and US-listed Korea ETFs like any other US security. ADR depositary fees are passed through and appear as “Fee Charged”. Fidelity also trades some foreign ordinary shares on the US OTC market. These have five-character symbols ending in “F”, are executed in US dollars by US market makers and are charged at the domestic commission rate. Foreign stocks that are not DTC-eligible (cannot settle through the main US depository) carry an extra US$50 fee. Currency conversions go through Fidelity’s affiliate Fidelity FOREX, which may add a mark-up.
Can you buy Korean stocks on Charles Schwab?
Not online. The Schwab Global Account trades 12 foreign markets online in local currency: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom. The account is for individual and joint registrations, has no minimum and must be linked to a Schwab One account. Its currency conversion fee is 1.00% on amounts under US$100,000, falling to 0.20% from US$1 million.
Schwab also says its clients can trade international securities in more than 30 countries. Trades outside the 12 online markets are placed by calling a broker and settle in US dollars. Its April 2026 pricing guide charges the greater of US$100 or 0.75% of principal for broker-assisted trades placed directly on a foreign exchange. Schwab does not publish that country list, and we could not confirm whether Korea is on it.
US exchange-listed securities, including the Korean ADRs and Korea ETFs, trade online for US$0 commission at Schwab, and ADR depositary fees are passed through. Foreign shares bought on the US OTC market carry a US$50 foreign transaction fee per online trade.
Can you buy Korean stocks on Robinhood?
Only through US-listed securities. Robinhood’s help centre says it does not support trading in foreign shares. It offers some ADRs, but not those subject to local financial transaction taxes. In October 2026 its public pages for all nine Korean ADRs (KB, SHG, WF, PKX, KEP, SKM, KT, LPL and SKHY) and for EWY and FLKR said they could be bought or sold on Robinhood. Samsung’s OTC symbols had no Robinhood page.
Robinhood’s fee schedule shows US$0 commissions for self-directed individual accounts trading US-listed and OTC securities. Some ADRs carry depositary custody fees, which Robinhood says typically run US$0.01 to US$0.03 per share.
What about Webull, moomoo and other apps?
Kiwoom Securities agreed in February 2026 to help Webull run an omnibus account for Korean stocks, without giving a launch date. We found no announcement of a live service as of mid-October 2026. moomoo offers Korean stocks to Futu’s Hong Kong customers and, according to its website, in Singapore. We could not confirm it for moomoo’s US, Canadian or Australian apps.
What can you buy if your broker has no Korea access?
- Korean ADRs. KB Financial (KB), Shinhan Financial (SHG), Woori Financial (WF), POSCO Holdings (PKX), KEPCO (KEP), SK Telecom (SKM), KT (KT) and LG Display (LPL) trade on the NYSE. SK hynix (SKHY) has traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market since July 2026; each ADS (American depositary share) represents one-tenth of a Seoul share. Ratios, depositaries and dividend tax are in our guide to Korean stocks in the US. ADR prices can drift above or below the Seoul price. Our SKHY premium tracker follows that gap for SK hynix.
- Korea ETFs. The iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (EWY) charges 0.59% a year and had US$22.7 billion in net assets on October 14, 2026. The Franklin FTSE South Korea ETF (FLKR) charges 0.09%. Both trade on NYSE Arca. We compare them in EWY vs FLKR.
- OTC and GDR quotes: proceed with care. Samsung Electronics’ ordinary shares (SSNLF) and its Rule 144A global depositary receipts (SSNHZ, SSNGY) are quoted in OTC Markets’ Pink Limited tier. That tier is for securities quoted with little or no involvement from the issuer. Before mid-October 2026, the last reported SSNLF trade was a single share on April 16, 2026. Broker fees for foreign OTC trades, such as US$50 at Schwab, add to the cost. Samsung also has GDRs listed in London; see our Samsung Electronics stock page.
Broker comparison: Korean stocks, ADRs and ETFs (October 2026)
| Broker | Direct KRX shares | Korean ADRs | Korea ETFs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interactive Brokers (US, Canada, UK, Europe, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia) | Yes, since May 7, 2026; Nextrade since June 30, 2026 | Yes | US clients: EWY, FLKR. UK and EU retail: UCITS funds | Not for Korea residents or IBKR Japan and India clients. 0.06% commission (min. KRW 4,000) in the first tier |
| Fidelity (US) | No. Korea is not among its 25 international markets | Yes | Yes | International trading only in non-retirement accounts. Extra US$50 on foreign OTC shares that are not DTC-eligible |
| Charles Schwab (US) | Not online. Korea is not among the 12 Global Account markets; broker-assisted list not published | Yes | Yes | Broker-assisted foreign trades cost the greater of US$100 or 0.75% |
| Robinhood (US) | No. Does not support foreign shares | Yes, all nine | Yes (EWY, FLKR) | US$0 commission. UK customers cannot buy US-listed ETFs |
| Saxo (UK) | No. Not in its Asia-Pacific stock list | US-listed stocks available | UCITS only | No minimum on US and UK stocks |
| Hargreaves Lansdown (UK) | No. US, Canada and 15 European exchanges | NYSE and Nasdaq available | UCITS (e.g., CSKR) | Has a page for Samsung’s London GDR (SMSN) |
| interactive investor (UK) | No. 17 exchanges; Asia-Pacific is Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore | NYSE and Nasdaq; offers ADRs | UCITS only | Multi-currency accounts |
| AJ Bell (UK) | No. Korea is not among its 24 markets | US shares available as CDIs | UCITS only | Asian markets by phone only, £10,000 minimum |
| Trading 212 (UK) | No. Korea is not among its listed exchanges | NYSE and Nasdaq available | UCITS only | Also lists Tokyo and US OTC Markets |
| Freetrade (UK) | No. UK, US and European stocks | Yes (says it offers Korea via ADRs) | UCITS only | Part of IG Group |
“Yes” in the ADR and ETF columns means the broker trades the US listings; check each symbol in your account. “UCITS only” means US-listed funds are not sold to UK retail clients.
How to buy Korean stocks in the UK
For direct KRX shares, IBKR’s UK entity, which has its own Korea Exchange page, is the option we could confirm. None of the other UK platforms we checked listed Korea in October 2026:
- Saxo UK. Its stock commission table for Asia-Pacific covers the Australian, Hong Kong, Malaysian, Singapore and Tokyo exchanges and the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Connect links, but not Korea.
- Hargreaves Lansdown. HL deals on NASDAQ, NYSE and NYSE Arca, the Toronto and Canadian Venture exchanges, and 15 European exchanges. It charges a foreign exchange fee of 0.99% on the first £10,000 of a deal, 0.50% on the next £15,000 and 0.20% above £25,000. HL has pages for Samsung’s London GDR (SMSN) and for CSKR, both listing the ISA, SIPP and Fund and Share Account as accounts to trade them in.
- interactive investor. ii trades directly on 17 exchanges, including Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore in Asia-Pacific. Its currency conversion charge is at most 0.75%.
- AJ Bell. AJ Bell offers 24 international markets. US, Canadian and European shares are dealt online as CDIs (CREST Depository Interests, UK-settled versions of overseas shares); its Asian markets are phone-only, with a £10,000 minimum.
- Trading 212 and Freetrade. Trading 212’s market list covers London, US, US OTC, Toronto, Tokyo and European exchanges. Freetrade offers UK, US and European stocks and says Korea is available through ETFs, investment trusts, funds and ADRs.
UK investors meet one more restriction. As Robinhood’s UK help centre explains, UK and EU retail investors have not been able to buy US-listed ETFs since 2018. EU-derived PRIIPs rules require a key information document (KID) that US issuers do not produce, so EWY and FLKR are off-limits. The iShares MSCI Korea UCITS ETF (CSKR) is an Irish-domiciled alternative listed on the London Stock Exchange. It trades in US dollars, has a 0.65% total expense ratio, is ISA-eligible according to iShares and had US$766 million in net assets on October 14, 2026.
Before putting Korean shares in an ISA or SIPP, check with your platform. HMRC’s list of designated recognised stock exchanges, which UK tax rules use to decide whether a security counts as listed, classes the KOSPI market as “listed” and KOSDAQ as “not listed”.
Can you buy Korean stocks in Canada or Australia?
Canada. Interactive Brokers Canada has a Korea Exchange page and the same eligibility rules as IBKR’s other entities. Wealthsimple does not offer stocks or ETFs that trade on exchanges outside North America. It supports the NYSE and Nasdaq, where the Korean ADRs trade. Questrade lists an “international equities” service at 1% of trade value, with a minimum of $195 plus exchange or stamp fees, but does not name the markets. We could not confirm whether Korea is one of them.
Australia. Interactive Brokers Australia has a Korea Exchange page. CommSec’s international shares service, according to its June 29, 2026 Financial Services Guide, covers 13 markets: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Japan, Norway, Singapore, Sweden and Switzerland. Korea is not one of them.
Do foreigners still need to register to buy Korean stocks?
No. From 1992, foreigners needed an investment registration certificate (IRC) from Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service before trading. That requirement ended on December 14, 2023. Individuals now open accounts with a passport number and companies with an LEI (Legal Entity Identifier); existing IDs remain valid. We found no move to reinstate registration through October 2026.
With IBKR or another omnibus broker, you do not open an account in Korea at all. Under November 2025 guidelines from the FSC (Financial Services Commission), the overseas broker holds the omnibus account at a Korean securities firm, keeps custody through a Korean standing proxy (a local settlement agent), records each client’s trades for 10 years and reports them monthly. KSD (Korea Securities Depository) pays dividends to the broker, which passes them on, and the broker can split its votes according to clients’ instructions. When it abolished registration, the FSC kept its power to manage foreign ownership limits, which still apply to a small number of stocks.
Note: Broker market lists change, and several Korean securities firms are still signing omnibus partners. Before you fund an account, check that “Korea” or “KRX” appears in the broker’s own list of markets or trading permissions. Do not rely on a third-party comparison site.
Frequently asked questions
Can foreigners buy Korean stocks in 2026?
Yes. Korea dropped its foreign investor registration requirement on December 14, 2023, so individuals are identified by passport number. Most investors outside Korea either use a global broker with KRX access, such as Interactive Brokers, or buy US-listed Korean ADRs and Korea ETFs.
Is Interactive Brokers the only US broker that offers Korean shares?
Of the large US retail brokers we checked in October 2026, it was the only one that listed the Korea Exchange. Korea is not among Fidelity's 25 international markets or the 12 Schwab Global Account markets, and Robinhood says it does not support foreign shares.
How can I get Samsung Electronics exposure on Robinhood or Fidelity?
Samsung has no US ADR, and its US over-the-counter symbols trade rarely; Robinhood had no page for them. On these platforms, the usual route is a Korea ETF. Samsung was the largest holding in FLKR, at 20.94% on September 30, 2026. Alternatively, a broker with KRX access can buy the Seoul shares (code 005930).
Why can't I buy EWY or FLKR in my UK account?
UK and EU retail rules (PRIIPs) require a key information document, which US-listed ETFs do not provide, so UK retail clients cannot buy them. A London-listed UCITS fund such as the iShares MSCI Korea UCITS ETF (CSKR) is the usual substitute.
What does Interactive Brokers charge to trade Korean shares?
IBKR publishes a tiered rate for Korea: 0.06% of trade value, with a KRW 4,000 minimum per order, for monthly volume up to KRW 2.25 billion, falling to 0.03% at the highest volumes. Exchange and clearing fees, currency conversion and Korea's tax on share sales are charged on top.
Can I trade Korean stocks on Webull or moomoo?
Webull signed an omnibus agreement with Kiwoom Securities in February 2026, but we found no live service as of mid-October 2026. Futu's Hong Kong customers and moomoo Singapore users can trade Korean stocks. We could not confirm the same for moomoo's US, Canadian or Australian apps.
Last reviewed: October 16, 2026.
Sources
- Interactive Brokers Launches Access to Korean Equities, Interactive Brokers, May 7, 2026; Interactive Brokers Expands Access to Korean Equities with Launch of Nextrade ATS, June 30, 2026
- Trade Korean Equities on the Korea Exchange (KRX), Interactive Brokers (also UK, Canada and Australia pages), accessed October 16, 2026
- Stocks, ETFs and Warrants commissions: Asia-Pacific (South Korea), Interactive Brokers, accessed October 16, 2026
- International Stock Trading and International stock trading FAQs, Fidelity Investments, accessed October 16, 2026
- Schwab Global Account and Charles Schwab Pricing Guide for Individual Investors (April 2026), Charles Schwab, accessed October 16, 2026
- American Depositary Receipts, Robinhood Financial fee schedule and Why can’t I trade ETFs? (UK), Robinhood, accessed October 16, 2026
- UK platform market lists: Saxo UK stock commissions; Hargreaves Lansdown overseas share dealing; interactive investor international markets; AJ Bell international dealing; Trading 212 market hours; Freetrade international stocks, accessed October 16, 2026
- Canada and Australia: Wealthsimple eligibility criteria for stocks and ETFs (updated October 15, 2026); Questrade trading commissions and fees; CommSec International Shares Financial Services Guide, June 29, 2026
- SK hynix Inc. prospectus (Form 424B4), American Depositary Shares, US SEC EDGAR, July 9, 2026
- Fund pages: iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (EWY), BlackRock, data as of October 14, 2026; Franklin FTSE South Korea ETF (FLKR) fact sheet, Franklin Templeton; iShares MSCI Korea UCITS ETF (CSKR), BlackRock, data as of October 14, 2026
- SSNLF (Samsung Electronics ordinary shares) overview and SSNHZ (144A GDR) overview, OTC Markets Group, accessed October 16, 2026
- Foreign Investor Registration Requirement to be Abolished in Korea, June 5, 2023, and Guidelines on Omnibus Account Provided to Facilitate Domestic Stock Investment by Foreign Investors, November 27, 2025, Financial Services Commission
- Foreign retail investors to trade Korean ETFs directly (in Korean), Money Today, September 26, 2026; Over 3,000 Hong Kong investors enter Korean market, Korea JoongAng Daily, October 13, 2026
- Hana Securities, Futu open Korean stock market access to foreign investors, The Korea Times, July 27, 2026; MooFest 2026 (Korea stocks FAQ), moomoo Singapore; Kiwoom Securities partners with Webull, Korea JoongAng Daily, February 13, 2026
- Designated recognised stock exchanges, HM Revenue & Customs; Guide to Trading in the Korean Stock Market, Korea Exchange
This guide explains how the Korean market works for general information. It is not investment, legal or tax advice; rules change, so check the official sources listed above or a qualified adviser before acting.