It is a non-classified public institution under the Financial Services Commission (South Korea).

The 5th amendment the Securities and Exchange Act (SEA) on February 6, 1973 provided the legal grounds to implement a CSD system, and on December 6, 1974, the Korea Securities Settlement Corporation (KSSC) was established.

On April 25, 1994, KSSC was re-incorporated as Korea Securities Depository (KSD), a special public corporation pursuant to the 11th amendment to the SEA (December 17, 1993).

The amendment also provided a legal basis for KSD to act as the sole CSD of Korea.

On February 9, 2010, with the enforcement of the Capital Market and Financial Investment Business Act, the name was changed to Korea Securities Depository(KSD).