Korea Exchange Chairman and CEO Jeong Eun-bo held talks with California Public Employees' Retirement System, or CalPERS, to promote greater investment in South Korea's capital markets, the bourse operator announced Wednesday.

Jeong met with CalPERS Chief Investment Officer Stephen Gilmore.

CalPERS is the largest public pension fund in the US, managing roughly $637.1 billion in assets as of June 30.

During the meeting, Jeong highlighted the progress made in capital market reforms led by the government and the Korea Exchange, as well as the investment appeal of the Korean market.

Gilmore outlined CalPERS' views on Korea and its areas of investment interest.

The meeting was part of broader efforts to strengthen ties with global institutional investors and encourage greater participation by foreign investors in Korea's stock market, the bourse operator explained.

"We will continue to engage with major global pension funds and other long-term investors, including CalPERS, to deepen their understanding of and interest in Korea's capital markets and actively promote the investment appeal of our market," Jeong said.

Jeong is scheduled to host a Korea Exchange Global Roadshow in New York on Thursday, pitching the Korean market to institutional investors, including asset managers and hedge funds.

On the same day, Jeong is also slated to sign a memorandum of understanding with the New York Stock Exchange to strengthen cooperation in market operations, including extended trading hours and the transition to a T+1 settlement cycle. They also plan to establish a joint working group, if necessary, to maintain cooperation.

By Im Eun-byel (silverstar@heraldcorp.com)