Korea’s MSCI setback

Korea’s failure to secure inclusion in the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Developed Markets Index once again underscores the structural limitations of its capital markets. Despite decades of economic progress and a stock market that ranks 13th globally in market capitalization, Korea remains classified as an emerging market — an ongoing reality since 1992, despite an ambition left unfulfilled since it began pursuing reclassification in 2008. This year’s exclusion is particularly disheartening given the recent resurgence of the Korean stock market. The KOSPI has broken past 3,000 for the first time in over three years, even briefly surpassing the 3,100 mark. President Lee Jae Myung’s administration has set an ambitious goal of reaching 5,000 by 2030. Yet this target cannot be realized without fundamental reforms in financial regulation and market accessibility. MSCI inclusion is not merely symbolic — it is an essential milestone on the path to global investor confidence and long-term market growth. The issues cited by MSCI are long-standing and well-documented. ChWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times