The new agreement allows Leading Investment and Securities (Leading), one of Korea's principal investment banks, to improve the trading capabilities of its retail securities brokers, providing access to the advantageous US FX marketplace. Connecting to TNS' Secure Trading Extranet enables Leading to offer its customers a single connection, providing mission-critical connectivity for its FX margin trading environment.

Jake Kim, Head of Business Development Team at Leading said: "Trading in FX is a new element of business for us. Gaining access to US FX markets is an exciting and promising time and we are keen to target international growth and strengthen our FX links with financial institutions outside of Asia. Connecting to TNS' Secure Trading Extranet enables our clients to benefit from secure and reliable connectivity for FX data feeds, making them easier for other financial market participants to deal with.

"Thanks to TNS, our clients are also safe in the knowledge that their overseas trades are running through a secure and reliable dedicated network, abiding by the stringent Electronic Transaction Law, set by the Korean Government."

Alan Schwartz, President of TNS' Financial Services Division, said: "Leading is a valuable addition to our community and we are delighted to be collaborating with them. The agreement underpins the growing demand for FX margin trading and this exciting market opens up many new opportunities for TNS, enabling us to build on connections with key FX players within Asia.

"Complex Korean laws can make it difficult for financial institutions to trade in markets outside its borders. We are pleased to provide Leading with a secure, reliable and robust connectivity service, reducing the burden facing Korean firms who wish to trade in overseas markets."