What can and cannot be said
The pages read for this update came from firms' help centers, and none lists South Korea as eligible or excluded. Eligibility depends on the firm's terms, the product and sometimes your citizenship and residence, which some firms treat separately. Topstep's pack note says to check both citizenship and permanent residence. Verify with each firm in writing before paying, and keep the reply. This page is not legal or tax advice.
Identity verification
FundedNext uses a single profile-level KYC. After you pass, you submit a photo of a physical national ID, passport or permanent residence permit, plus a liveness check. A driving licence is accepted only for traders in the US, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, so a Korean driving licence would not serve. The firm may also ask for proof of address issued within three months. Review takes about 48 hours, and an unapproved account can be deactivated if KYC is not completed within 30 days of passing. Names and birth dates are locked after approval, so make sure your documents match what you entered at signup.
Payout routes
Topstep lists prop-to-brokerage payouts for the US only, Aeropay and ACH for US banks only, Wise for China, Canada and the United Kingdom, and wire or SWIFT for international payouts with a 30 dollar fee and 5 to 10 business days. Korea does not appear in the Wise list, so wire is the listed international route, subject to the firm's own country rules. Topstep also lists an FAQ on countries that cannot receive payouts, which was not expanded. FundedNext lists USDT and USDC, bank transfer, direct deposit to its broker and card payout, with 24-hour settlement after approval. The5ers names crypto or RISE. Check that your bank or wallet accepts the route, and which fees you pay.
Time zones and sleep
A trader in Korea faces the firms' clocks at awkward hours. The derived table shows FTMO's daily reset near 07:00 or 08:00 KST and The Trading Pit's 14:55 CT force-close near 05:00 to 06:00 KST. A futures day trader in Korea therefore trades the US session overnight. Daylight saving changes the offset by one hour on different dates in the US and Europe, so recheck around each change.
Which program types fit
A trader who is awake during the US session fits the futures programs. A trader who prefers the Asian or European session fits CFD programs, where forex pairs trade around the clock. Rules that ban overnight positions or force-close at the US close suit a US-session schedule, while static CFD limits allow wider flexibility. The page on forex versus futures programs shows the structural differences.
Currency, banking and tax
Payouts arrive in the firm's currency, usually dollars or a stablecoin, and conversion costs apply. Tax treatment of rewards depends on your own situation, and Topstep's payout page lists an FAQ on required tax forms, which was not expanded. Ask a qualified adviser, and keep records of fees and payouts.
A checklist for traders in Korea
Ask the firm in writing whether residents of South Korea are eligible for your exact program and payout route. Confirm accepted ID documents. Confirm payout method, minimum and fee. Convert reset and cutoff times to your clock. Record the answers with dates. The guide on country eligibility gives the full list.
Questions about residence and citizenship
Some firms distinguish where you hold citizenship from where you live. A resident of Korea who holds another citizenship may be treated differently from a Korean citizen who lives abroad. Ask which one the firm uses, which document proves it and whether the answer differs for the evaluation and for payouts. If a firm cannot answer, treat the program as unavailable to you until it can, and do not pay on an assumption that the checks will pass later.
Support hours and language
Help centers are in English, and support hours follow Western time zones. A question sent in the Korean afternoon may be answered overnight. Plan your pre-purchase questions a few days ahead and keep every reply, since it is your evidence if a dispute arises.
Keeping evidence for disputes
Save screenshots of the rules, the checkout invoice and any support chat. Time stamps matter because the reset times above shift with daylight saving, and a record showing the rule version at purchase is the strongest reply to a disputed breach. Store them outside the trading platform as well.
Limits of this page
Nothing here confirms that any firm accepts residents of Korea.
How this was sourced
Official material checked for this draft on 2026-10-27. Product terms, residence eligibility, promotions, payout rules and fees can change. Reverify before publishing or purchasing.
Editorial disclosure
QuantProp has no verified commercial relationship with the firm(s) discussed in this article. This is an independently drafted rules comparison, not an endorsement or proof of payout reliability. No affiliate links are active. Trading evaluations can involve fees and substantial loss or failure risk.
Revision log
2026-10-28: imported from the editorial pack dated 2026-10-27; approved for publication by the owner. Facts are as of 2026-10-27 and were not independently tested. 2026-10-28: Link /guides/prop-firm-effective-risk-budget/ replaced by /compare/prop-firm-risk-budget/: the target did not exist in the pack or on the site. 2026-10-28: Rewritten from a 300-word template. No page read named South Korea, so the page states that plainly. Added verified KYC document and payout-method facts, a derived table of reset times in Korea Standard Time (labelled as derived) and Q&A.
At a glance
| Rule | Stated time | Approximate KST |
|---|---|---|
| FTMO daily loss reset | 00:00 Central European (Summer) Time | 08:00 in winter, 07:00 in summer |
| The5ers daily reset | 00:00 server time | Depends on the server offset; confirm |
| Topstep trading day start | 5:00 PM CT | 07:00 or 08:00 the next morning |
| The Trading Pit force-close | 14:55 CT | About 04:55 to 05:55 the next morning |
| Topstep payout requests | Sunday 5 PM CT to Friday 5 PM CT | Monday morning to Saturday morning |
Frequently asked questions
Can South Korean residents use prop firms?
It depends on each firm's terms. None of the official pages read named South Korea, so ask the firm in writing for your exact program and payout route before paying.
Which ID does FundedNext accept?
A photo of a physical national ID, passport or permanent residence permit. A driving licence is accepted only for traders in the US, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
How do Topstep payouts reach international traders?
Topstep lists wire or SWIFT for international payouts with a 30 dollar fee and 5 to 10 business days. Wise is limited to China, Canada and the United Kingdom, and ACH and Aeropay to US banks.
What time does the FTMO daily loss reset in Korea?
FTMO resets at 00:00 Central European (Summer) Time, which is about 07:00 to 08:00 in Korea Standard Time depending on daylight saving.
Is this page tax or legal advice?
No. It summarizes what firms state on official pages. Tax and legal treatment of rewards depends on your situation, so consult a qualified adviser.