Korean Stock Tickers and Codes Explained: KRX Codes, .KS, .KQ and ISINs

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Every security listed on the Korea Exchange (KRX) has a six-character code, such as 005930 for Samsung Electronics, and almost every data provider builds its ticker from that code: 005930.KS on Yahoo Finance, KRX:005930 on Google Finance and TradingView, and 005930 KS on Bloomberg. Since 2024 new codes can contain a letter, as in 0126Z0 (Samsung Epis Holdings), and the international ISIN of a Korean share starts with KR7.

What is a Korean stock code?

KRX gives every listed security a six-character “short code” (단축코드, danchuk kodeu). It is the identifier you type into a Korean broker’s app and the one you see in Korean news, for example 005930 for Samsung Electronics or 000660 for SK hynix. Some trading systems add a one-letter prefix for the product type, “A” for shares (A005930) and “Q” for ETNs (exchange-traded notes), but most people drop it.

Leading zeros are part of the code. A spreadsheet that treats 000660 as a number will turn it into 660, so store codes as text. ETFs listed in Seoul use the same format: the KODEX 200 ETF, for example, is 069500.

The code itself does not say whether a stock trades on KOSPI, the main board, or KOSDAQ, the growth market (see KOSPI vs KOSDAQ). Samsung Electronics (005930) is on KOSPI, while the biotech company Alteogen (196170) is on KOSDAQ. You need the market to build tickers for many international platforms, so check it on KRX or in the table at the end of this guide. Alteogen, for instance, approved a move to KOSPI in December 2025 but postponed it in July 2026 and remains on KOSDAQ.

Why do some Korean stock codes contain letters?

KRX was running out of numbers. When it announced the reform in May 2023, share codes had been issued up to the 45,000s and were expected to reach 50,000 around the second quarter of 2024. From January 1, 2024, KRX began using letters in one position of new share codes, which raises the number of possible codes from 50,000 to 165,000. The letters I, O and U are not used. Codes that already existed were not changed.

In KRX’s own numbering, the letter sits in the sixth position of the full code including the “A” prefix, which is the fifth of the six characters you normally see. Two examples:

• 0126Z0: Samsung Epis Holdings, the biosimilar holding company split off from Samsung Biologics, listed on KOSPI in late 2025 (Yahoo Finance: 0126Z0.KS).
• 0194T0: the ACE SK hynix Single Stock Leverage ETF from Korea Investment Management (Yahoo Finance: 0194T0.KS).

If you maintain watch lists or code, do not validate Korean codes as “six digits”. KRX asked data users to handle codes containing letters and to always use the full code rather than a shortened one. The 2024 reform also split product types by the second character (0 to 4 for shares, 5 to 8 for ETNs) so that share and ETN codes cannot collide.

How do preferred share codes work?

Preferred shares have their own code, which is usually the common share’s code with a different final character. By convention the first preferred share ends in 5, the second in 7 and the third in 9; newer issues can end in a letter. In Korean names, 우 (short for 우선주, preferred share) marks the preferred line, and “B” in names such as 2우B is used for newer-type preferred shares.

Preferred shares can be a large part of a company’s capital: Samsung Electronics had 802 million preferred shares out of 6.65 billion shares outstanding at the end of June 2026, about 12%. Their rights, such as voting, dividend premium and conversion, differ from company to company, so read the articles of incorporation and filings before treating a preferred share as a cheaper version of the common. International platforms label them differently; Yahoo Finance, for example, shows “SamsungElec(1P)” and “HyundaiMtr(2PB)”.

What is the ISIN of a Korean stock?

An ISIN (International Securities Identification Number) has 12 characters: a two-letter country code, a nine-character national number and a check digit. Korean shares start with KR7, and the KRX code is visible inside: Samsung Electronics common shares are KR7005930003 and its preferred shares KR7005931001. KRX runs Korea’s standard code system, where ISINs can be looked up.

Custodians, transfer agents and international settlement systems use ISINs rather than local tickers, so you may need one when transferring shares between brokers. Depositary receipts have their own ISINs: Samsung’s London-listed GDRs, for instance, carry US-prefixed ISINs (US7960508882 for the common GDR).

How are Korean tickers written on Yahoo, Google, Bloomberg and others?

US-listed Korean ADRs use ordinary US tickers instead, such as KB for KB Financial Group or PKX for POSCO Holdings; our guide to Korean stocks in the US lists them.

How are Korean company names romanised?

South Korea’s official system for writing Korean in the Latin alphabet is the Revised Romanization of Korean, but its rules allow personal and company names to keep the spellings they already use. Most large groups do. Under the official system 현대 would be “Hyeondae”, 삼성 “Samseong”, 신한 “Sinhan” and 기아 “Gia”; the companies call themselves Hyundai, Samsung, Shinhan and Kia.

Korean screens also use short forms. 현대차 is Hyundai Motor (short for 현대자동차), 신한지주 is Shinhan Financial Group (지주 means holding company), KB금융 is KB Financial Group and 삼성전자우 is Samsung Electronics’ preferred share. International data vendors add their own abbreviations, such as “SamsungElec” or “ECOPROBM” on Yahoo Finance. Names also change after restructurings while codes stay put, so search by code whenever you can.

Where can I find data on Korean stocks?

• KRX Data Marketplace (data.krx.co.kr): the exchange’s official statistics, including prices, market capitalisation, index data and trading by investor type. Partly available in English.
• KIND (kind.krx.co.kr, English at engkind.krx.co.kr): KRX’s disclosure system for exchange notices, such as listings, trading halts and market alert designations.
• DART (dart.fss.or.kr, English at englishdart.fss.or.kr): the FSS (Financial Supervisory Service) electronic disclosure system for annual and quarterly reports, major event filings and shareholding reports. The English site carries fewer filings than the Korean one.
• Nextrade (nextrade.co.kr): the list of stocks eligible on the alternative trading venue and its hours (see our market hours guide).
• Naver Finance (finance.naver.com, which now redirects to stock.naver.com): the most widely used Korean-language quote site, with KRX and Nextrade prices, news and research links.
• Yahoo Finance: English quotes and price history using the .KS and .KQ suffixes; check whether a price series is adjusted for splits and dividends.
• Company investor relations pages: Samsung Electronics, for example, publishes its codes and ISINs on a listing information page.

For market-wide numbers, our foreign investor flows tracker and KOSPI valuation tracker are updated from these sources. If you are ready to trade, see how to buy Korean stocks.

Common mistakes when looking up Korean tickers

• Dropping leading zeros. 000660 and 660 are not the same thing to most systems. Keep codes as text in spreadsheets and portfolio tools.
• Using the wrong suffix. A KOSDAQ stock needs .KQ on Yahoo Finance and the KOSDAQ: prefix on Google Finance. Check the market before you build the ticker.
• Buying the preferred share by mistake. Preferred lines often trade at a lower price than the common, so they can look like a bargain in a search list. Check for 우 in the Korean name or a final 5, 7, 9 or letter in the code.
• Confusing group companies. Large groups such as Samsung, Hyundai, LG and SK have many separately listed companies with similar names and different codes. Samsung Electronics, Samsung Biologics and Samsung Epis Holdings are three different stocks.
• Picking an ETF instead of the stock. Single-stock leveraged ETFs, such as 0194T0 on SK hynix, carry the company’s name but behave very differently from the shares.
• Assuming a spin-off keeps the old code. A new company created by a split gets its own code, as Samsung Epis Holdings (0126Z0) did, while the original company keeps its code.

When in doubt, confirm the code in two places, for example KRX Data Marketplace and the company’s own investor relations page or its DART filings, before you place an order.

Codes of well-known Korean companies

All codes and markets below were checked against Naver Finance and Yahoo Finance on October 14 and 15, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Last reviewed: October 15, 2026.

Sources

1. Korea Exchange to mix letters into stock and ETN codes from next year (in Korean), Aju News, May 30, 2023
2. KRX Standard Code System (in Korean), Korea Exchange, accessed October 2026
3. Listing Information, Samsung Electronics Investor Relations, accessed October 2026
4. Samsung Electronics quote and stock codes (in Korean), Naver Finance, accessed October 14, 2026
5. Samsung Epis Holdings (0126Z0.KS), Yahoo Finance, accessed October 15, 2026
6. Alteogen (196170.KQ), Yahoo Finance, accessed October 15, 2026
7. Alteogen Inc (196170), Google Finance, accessed October 15, 2026
8. 196170 Stock Price and Chart (KRX:196170), TradingView, accessed October 15, 2026
9. Alteogen to Remain on KOSDAQ… Delays KOSPI Move and Announces Bonus Issue, The Asia Business Daily, July 16, 2026
10. The Revised Romanization of Korean, National Institute of Korean Language, accessed October 2026
11. KRX Data Marketplace, Korea Exchange, accessed October 2026
12. KIND (Korea Investor’s Network for Disclosure System), Korea Exchange, accessed October 2026
13. DART (English), Financial Supervisory Service, accessed October 2026

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.