Foreigners Step Up Options Trading on Volatile Korean Stocks

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For years, the South Korean exchange sought to lure investors to its single-stock options with little success. That’s starting to change.

The recent bout of volatility that’s pushed up equity trading also sent the volume of the contracts surging. The number of options on companies including brokerage Mirae Asset Securities Co., battery-materials supplier LG Chem Ltd. and biotech Seegene Inc. reached peaks. Chip giant Samsung Electronics Co., the nation’s biggest firm, saw trading of its contracts climb to the highest level since 2018.