NYSE President Lynn Martin Attends Seminar on Advancing Korea’s Capital Markets

Lyn Martin, president of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), attended a seminar at the National Assembly on August 10, 2026, to discuss strategies for improving the global competitiveness and advancement of the South Korean capital market. Organized by Democratic Party Representative Kim Nam-jun, the event focused on enhancing investor protection and corporate governance transparency to attract more domestic and foreign capital, according to fnnews.com.

The seminar, titled “대한민국 자본시장의 선진화와 글로벌 경쟁력 제고 방안,” took place at the National Assembly Members’ Hall. The gathering included several CEOs of securities firms and members of the Democratic Party who questioned Martin on the specific requirements for Korean companies to list on U.S. exchanges, fnnews.com reports.

Representative Lee Kwang-jae, chairman of the National Assembly’s Special Committee on Budget and Accounts, specifically cited the recent listing of SK Hynix American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) in the United States. Lee asked Martin to explain the advantages and disadvantages for domestic companies pursuing cross-listing on the NYSE, according to fnnews.com.

Martin provided a general response regarding cross-listing, stating that such moves require regulatory cooperation, investor protection measures, and a system for sharing corporate information between the U.S. and South Korea to increase interconnectivity between markets, fnnews.com reports.

Representative Oh Gi-hyoung, who serves as the chairman of the Democratic Party’s K자본시장특별위원회 and a ranking member of the Finance and Economy Committee, also questioned Martin regarding the primary threats facing the Korean stock market. According to fnnews.com, Martin did not provide a specific answer to the question about threats but emphasized the necessity of stable institutional operations for innovation.

“시장이 투명하고 안정적이며 신뢰받을 때 자본은 가장 생산적인 곳으로 흘러가고 기업은 성장하고 경제는 확대된다”

Lyn Martin, NYSE President, via fnnews.com

The seminar occurred as the Democratic Party seeks to prevent retail investors from leaving the domestic market following controversies surrounding “Samsung-Hynix leverage” products. fnnews.com reports that the party views retail investors as a key demographic for expanding its support base toward the political center.

The event is described by fnnews.com as an extension of efforts started in September 2025, when President Lee visited the NYSE to advocate for investment in the Korean market by highlighting “Korea Premium” through improved corporate governance and investor protections. The involvement of Representative Kim Nam-jun, a close associate of the president and former Blue House spokesperson, is seen as a move to align the party with the government’s goals for capital market advancement.

During the session, the discussions became detailed enough that Martin’s representatives requested the seminar be transitioned to a closed-door format, according to fnnews.com.

To support these goals, the Democratic Party plans to process several amendments to the Capital Markets Act during the second half of the 22nd National Assembly. According to fnnews.com, these proposed legislative changes include:

• The introduction of a mandatory tender offer system.
• The strengthening of the system for returning short-term trading profits.

These measures are intended to supplement shareholder return systems and investor protections to maintain the presence of both individual and foreign investors in the Korean market, fnnews.com reports.