South Korea’s sole securities exchange operator is set to commission research into the best way to support North Korea in setting up its own capital market, a document seen by NK News this week showed.

The proposal, unveiled by Korea Exchange (KRX) in a bid last Friday, seeks to commission a “study on plans to utilize the capital market for North Korean economic development.”

By outsourcing the project to a specialized research institute, the KRX aims to “present a roadmap to support the establishment of the capital market in North Korea,” the bid continues, and “devise concrete action plans” based on