When you sell shares in Korea, tax is charged on the sale amount, profit or loss: the securities transaction tax. The Enforcement Decree amended on 31 December 2025 sets, for shares sold from 1 January 2026, 0.05% on the KOSPI market, 0.20% on KOSDAQ and 0.10% on KONEX. KOSPI sales also carry 0.15% rural development tax, for 0.20% in all. Selling 10 million won costs 20,000 won on either KOSPI or KOSDAQ.
1. KOSPI 0.05% + 0.15% rural development tax = 0.20%; KOSDAQ 0.20%; KONEX 0.10%.
2. For sales from 1 January 2026 (Decree addendum Art. 2).
3. Charged even at a loss — the base is the sale value.
Rates — Act Art. 8, Decree Art. 5, Rural Tax Act Art. 5
| Market | Transaction tax (+ rural tax) | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| KOSPI | 5 per 10,000 (0.05%) + rural tax 15 per 10,000 (0.15%) | 0.20% in all (our arithmetic) |
| KOSDAQ · KOFIA over-the-counter | 20 per 10,000 (0.20%) | Rural tax applies only to KOSPI |
| KONEX | 10 per 10,000 (0.10%) | — |
| Other shares | Basic rate 35 per 10,000 (0.35%, Act Art. 8(1)) | e.g. unlisted shares (our reading) |
Article 8(2) lets the Decree lower the rate, or set it to zero, for exchange-traded shares to foster the market; Decree Article 5 is that flexible rate. The rural development tax is 15 per 10,000 of the sale value on the market set by Decree, which is KOSPI (Rural Tax Decree Art. 5(1)). For listed shares the base is the sale value (Act Art. 7).
Calculator
Updates as you type. Rates for shares sold from 1 January 2026. Brokerage fees aren’t included; rounding by the broker may differ slightly.
How much — our example
| Selling 10 million won | Tax | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| KOSPI | 5,000 + 15,000 = 20,000 won | — |
| KOSDAQ | 20,000 won | — |
| KONEX | 10,000 won | — |
Capital gains tax on profits applies separately to major shareholders and off-exchange sales — see major shareholder capital gains; foreign shares in overseas stock capital gains calculator.
Checklist
- ☐ KOSPI 0.20% (0.05% + 0.15% rural tax)
- ☐ KOSDAQ 0.20%, KONEX 0.10%
- ☐ Sales from 1 January 2026
- ☐ Charged on the sale value, even at a loss
- ☐ Brokerage fees are extra
Questions that remain
What was it in 2025?
We read the current Decree and its addendum, not the earlier text, so we haven’t stated the old rates.
Does selling an ETF count?
These provisions set rates for “shares”; ETFs are outside what we read. ETF tax is in ETF tax.
Sources
- Korean law database (law.go.kr) — Securities Transaction Tax Act Enforcement Decree Art. 5; Addendum (No. 36001, 31 December 2025) — source (current text, effective 2 January 2026; checked 19 October 2026). Market rates, start date, 0.35% basic rate, tax base, 0.15% rural tax and its market.
- Korean law database — Securities Transaction Tax Act Arts. 7–8; Special Tax for Rural Development Act Art. 5(1)5 (effective 12 May 2026) and its Decree Art. 5(1) (KOSPI market).
- Not read. The earlier Decree, ETF taxation, broker rounding.
- What we added. The “worth noting” column and the Korean everyday gloss.
Where to check further
- Your broker’s trade history — the tax actually withheld.
Written on 19 October 2026. The content is from the source; the glosses are ours.
