South Korea to Raise Minimum Trade Size for Single-Stock Leveraged ETFs to 20 Shares

South Korea's exchange has published draft amendments that would raise the minimum trade size for single-stock leveraged ETFs from 1 share to 20 shares. Exchange-traded notes would be affected too, with the minimum denomination moving from 1 unit to 20 units. The proposals are out for market consultation. The financial regulator had originally planned to implement the measure in November, but has moved to accelerate it. With speculative trading in single-stock leveraged products heating up, the exchange is pushing for the new thresholds to take effect as early as September. Beyond the higher trading unit, authorities are strengthening investor protections. Under the draft rules, first-time retail investors must complete at least five trading sessions of simulated trading — one hour per day, for a cumulative five hours — before they can participate in these products. The draft also reflects a tightening of oversight on leveraged products, as regulators seek to cool speculative trading among new market entrants.