Korea Stocks API Integration Guide: KRX Real-Time Quotes & Historical Data Access

iTick
2026-02-10
Tutorial

The Korea Exchange (KRX) ranks among the world's most dynamic equity markets. Its two primary boards — KOSPI (main board) and KOSDAQ (growth & tech-focused) — host globally significant companies such as Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, Hyundai Motor, and LG Energy Solution. Fueled by the global rise of K-culture, semiconductors, electric vehicles, and battery supply chains, the Korean equity market has become a key focus for quantitative traders and cross-border institutional investors.

This guide provides a step-by-step walkthrough on how to access the Korean equity market through the iTick API, covering real-time Level-1 quotes, historical candlestick data, and tick-level trades — complete with production-ready Python code examples to help you rapidly build a robust Korea equity data pipeline.

Why Choose iTick for KRX Market Access?

Full Coverage — All KOSPI and KOSDAQ listed securities
Ultra-Low Latency — WebSocket streaming with <50 ms delivery
Flexible Protocols — REST + WebSocket + FIX
Generous Free Tier — Unlimited calls for core real-time quotes

1. Quick Start

1.1 Register & Obtain API Token

Visit the iTick official website to register (≈30 seconds, no credit card required). Your personal API Token is available immediately in the developer console.

1.2 Install Dependencies

      pip install requests websocket-client pandas

2. Core Functionality Implementation

2.1 Real-Time Quotes (REST API)

Fetch the latest quote for Samsung Electronics (005930):

      import requests

API_TOKEN = "your_token_here"           # ← replace with your actual token
BASE_URL  = "https://api.itick.org"

def get_quote(symbol):
    url = f"{BASE_URL}/stock/quote"
    params  = {"region": "KR", "code": symbol}
    headers = {"token": API_TOKEN}

    resp = requests.get(url, params=params, headers=headers).json()
    if resp.get("code") == 0:
        data = resp["data"]
        print(f"{data['n']} ({data['s']})")
        print(f"Last Price: {data['ld']} KRW | Change: {data['chp']}%")
    else:
        print("Error:", resp.get("msg"))

get_quote("005930")  # Samsung Electronics

    

2.2 Historical OHLCV Bars (REST API)

Retrieve daily bars — ideal for backtesting:

      def get_kline(symbol, ktype=8, limit=100):
    url = f"{BASE_URL}/stock/kline"
    params = {
        "region": "KR",
        "code": symbol,
        "kType": ktype,
        "limit": limit
    }
    headers = {"token": API_TOKEN}

    resp = requests.get(url, params=params, headers=headers).json()
    if resp.get("code") == 0:
        # Print the most recent 5 bars
        for item in resp["data"][-5:]:
            print(f"Date: {item['t']}  O:{item['o']}  H:{item['h']}  L:{item['l']}  C:{item['c']}  Vol:{item['v']}")
    else:
        print("Error:", resp.get("msg"))

get_kline("005930", limit=10)  # Last 10 trading days

    

2.3 Low-Latency Real-Time Streaming (WebSocket)

Subscribe to live quote updates for Samsung Electronics and SK hynix:

      import websocket
import json
import threading
import time

WS_URL    = "wss://api.itick.org/stock"
API_TOKEN = "your_token_here"           # ← replace

def on_message(ws, message):
    data = json.loads(message)
    if "data" in data:
        md = data["data"]
        if md["type"] == "quote":
            print(f"{md['s']}  Last: {md['ld']} KRW  Chg: {md['chp']}%")

def on_open(ws):
    subscribe_msg = {
        "ac": "subscribe",
        "params": "005930$KR,000660$KR",    # Samsung + SK hynix
        "types": "quote"
    }
    ws.send(json.dumps(subscribe_msg))

def send_ping(ws):
    while True:
        time.sleep(30)
        ws.send(json.dumps({
            "ac": "ping",
            "params": str(int(time.time()*1000))
        }))

ws = websocket.WebSocketApp(
    WS_URL,
    header={"token": API_TOKEN},
    on_open=on_open,
    on_message=on_message
)

threading.Thread(target=send_ping, args=(ws,), daemon=True).start()
ws.run_forever()

    

3. Korea Market Quick Reference

Ticker Format

KRX uses 6-digit numeric codes (e.g. Samsung Electronics = 005930)
REST: region=KR, code=005930
WebSocket subscription: 005930$KR

Major Constituents Reference

Company	Ticker	Sector
Samsung Electronics	005930	Semiconductors
SK hynix	000660	Semiconductors
Hyundai Motor	005380	Automobiles
LG Energy Solution	373220	Batteries
NAVER	035420	Internet / Tech

KRX Regular Trading Hours (Korea Standard Time – KST)

Continuous trading: 09:00 – 15:30 (no lunch break)
Corresponding Beijing / Hong Kong time: 08:00 – 14:30

(Note: As of early 2026, KRX has announced plans to extend trading hours significantly in phases, potentially reaching 12 hours by mid-2026 and aiming for near-24-hour coverage by 2027. The above reflects standard regular-session hours.)

4. Summary

With the examples above, you can quickly integrate high-quality Korean equity data into your workflows. Key advantages of iTick for KRX coverage include: