To start trading U.S. stocks, there’s one really important thing: knowing the exact trading times and U.S. market holidays. I also missed out on trading opportunities at first because of the time difference, so I can tell you this matters more than you might think.

There are three major U.S. exchanges: NYSE, NASDAQ, and AMEX, and all of them operate on the same schedule. Regular trading hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, which in Korea is from 11:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. the next day. During daylight saving time (from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November), the schedule shifts one hour earlier, meaning it runs from 10:30 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.

There are also pre-market and after-hours sessions, so you can trade outside regular hours. Pre-market is from 4:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time, which is from 6:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. in Korea. After-hours runs from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time after regular trading ends, which in Korea is from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. the next day.

You also need to check U.S. market holidays carefully. For 2026, holidays include New Year’s Day on January 1, Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 19, President’s Day on February 16, Good Friday on April 3, Memorial Day on May 25, Juneteenth Day on June 19, Independence Day on July 3, Labor Day on September 7, Thanksgiving Day on November 26, and Christmas on December 25. It’s a good idea to mark these U.S. holidays on your calendar in advance.

In addition to U.S. holidays, you should also be aware that there are days with early market closures. On July 2 (the day before Independence Day), November 27 (the day after Thanksgiving), and December 24 (Christmas Eve), the market closes early at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time. In Korea, that corresponds to an early closure at 2:00 a.m. the next day.

Trading rules are important too. Trades are conducted only in U.S. dollars, and settlement is completed after 2 business days. Unlike Korea, there are no price limit bands. Because the market operates at night based on Korean time, you may not be able to respond quickly to a sudden plunge, so take this into account when planning your trades.

The NYSE is a historically significant exchange that has been operating since 1792. About 2,400 companies are listed there, and its market capitalization is approximately $23 trillion. Traditional large companies such as Berkshire Hathaway, Johnson & Johnson, Visa, and Walmart are mainly listed. NASDAQ was established in 1971 and is a relatively newer exchange; it has many IT companies, so you can find companies like Apple, Microsoft, and NVIDIA. AMEX is an exchange where mid-sized and small companies are mainly listed.

Knowing about exchanges in other countries can also help. The Korea Exchange operates from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; the Tokyo Stock Exchange operates from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (with a break from 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.); and the London Stock Exchange runs from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and during daylight saving time it operates from 5:00 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. the next day in Korea. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (with a break from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.), and the Shanghai Stock Exchange operates from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (with a break from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.).

To trade U.S. stocks properly, you need to know this kind of information about trading hours and holidays accurately. Especially on days when there are U.S. market holidays, the market is completely closed, so it’s important to plan your trades in advance. Since exchange hours and holidays may change, please always check the latest information and trade accordingly.