South Korea Looks to MSCI Review With Renewed Hopes for Upgrade

South Korea’s efforts to improve corporate governance as well as end a controversial short-selling ban have strengthened the nation’s bid for an upgrade to developed-market status in MSCI Inc.’s indexes.

That’s the view from money managers at Invesco Ltd. and London-based M&G Investments, who see a likelihood for the market to be added in MSCI’s watch list when the index provider decides on reclassifications later this month. Such an inclusion would pave the way for an upgrade in 2026, which could potentially attract as much as $30 billion in passive inflows, said strategists at Goldman Sachs Group Inc.