Paris: South Korea will continue efforts to lower barriers for foreign investors by rolling out measures to enhance the market's attractiveness, including the launch of a 24-hour foreign exchange market, a senior financial official said.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Second Vice Finance Minister Huh Chang briefed French investors on South Korea's financial and stock markets on Thursday (Paris time) in response to growing interest in Asia's No. 4 economy despite global geopolitical uncertainties. The briefing was attended by major officials from Amundi, BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole, Natixis, and Societe Generale.

During the event, Huh emphasized South Korea's growing appeal as an investment destination, attributing it to the country's solid financial health and its crucial role in the global supply chain for the artificial intelligence (AI) industry. He highlighted that South Korea's exports surged by 40 percent on-year in the January-April period to reach US$390 billion, driven by the memory supercycle. This surge led to a 1.7 percent on-year expansion in gross domestic product (GDP) in the first quarter, the highest among the members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The finance ministry reported that Huh assured French investors of South Korea's commitment to maintaining this momentum by operating the country's foreign exchange market on a 24-hour basis. The country plans to launch the 24-hour trading system for the Korean won and the U.S. dollar on July 6.

Huh also remarked that South Korea will continue to support the AI, semiconductor, and manufacturing industries to stimulate domestic consumption and private investment. The finance ministry noted that participants at the session highly evaluated South Korea's market reform efforts, describing the country as one of the "core markets" alongside the United States and Europe.