KSD to Launch "Electronic General Meeting of Shareholders Platform" in October... Full Service Begins in January Next Year

Same-day Online Voting and Voice Participation Supported

Increased Participation of Foreign Shareholders

Easier for Listed Companies to Secure a Quorum

The Korea Securities Depository (KSD) will launch its "Electronic General Meeting of Shareholders Platform" in October, enabling shareholders to attend general meetings regardless of location. The full service rollout is scheduled for January next year.

According to KSD on September 29, following amendments to the Commercial Act, large listed companies with assets of KRW 2 trillion or more will be required to hold electronic general meetings of shareholders starting in January 2027. In response, KSD has been working to develop this platform. After a pilot operation period with select users, KSD plans to fully support the adoption of electronic shareholder meetings by listed companies from January next year.

During the fourth quarter of this year, KSD will host a trial electronic shareholder meeting in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and the Korea Listed Companies Association, conducting rehearsals in a real-world-like environment. KSD also plans to cooperate with the Korea Listed Companies Association to offer practical training courses for working-level staff at listed companies, ensuring seamless support for the hosting of general meetings of shareholders.

KSD's electronic shareholder meeting platform is equipped with a robust environment and various features to facilitate smooth electronic shareholder meetings for listed companies. Notably, advance electronic voting, previously available through "K-VOTE" only until the day before the meeting, will now be expanded to allow online voting on the day of the general or onsite meeting. Foreign shareholders will also be able to attend electronic shareholder meetings and exercise their voting rights using a shareholder identification number and password, just like domestic shareholders.

Onsite meeting video footage recorded by listed companies will be broadcasted easily to all shareholders via the platform at no additional cost. Furthermore, a pre-booking system for selecting meeting dates will be introduced during the peak season in March for both regular and extraordinary general meetings, helping to prevent the concentration of large company meetings on the same day.

To provide an onsite-equivalent experience, shareholders will be able to conveniently participate in Q&A sessions and voice their opinions in real time via audio. Mobile device-based online voting and counting features will also be available. Multiple authentication methods and support for mobile and tablet access will greatly enhance accessibility.

KSD stated, "The launch of the electronic general meeting of shareholders platform is expected to significantly improve convenience for both shareholders and listed companies. Retail shareholders will no longer have to take time off to attend meetings in person, while foreign shareholders will be able to exercise their voting rights under the same conditions as domestic shareholders and enjoy increased time for agenda review." KSD added, "Listed companies will also find it easier to secure a quorum with higher shareholder participation, and will be able to communicate more with shareholders compared to time-restricted onsite meetings."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.