South Korea

제동 걸린 가상자산 2단계 입법…업계가 바라보는 쟁점은

ZD Net Korea | Local Language | News | Dec. 12, 2025 | Regulation

Phase 2 legislation intended to establish a comprehensive institutional framework for the virtual asset market in Korea has been delayed due to the government's failure to submit key bills by the scheduled deadline. The Financial Services Commission (FSC) had planned to present drafts of a basic digital asset law and Korean-won stablecoin regulations to the National Assembly by December 10, but missed this cutoff, disrupting the anticipated legislative review for the year. These bills are critical as they address issuance, distribution, authorization, and disclosure standards, areas not covered in the initial phase, leading to significant industry disappointment.

The delay is attributed mainly to ongoing disagreements between the FSC and the Bank of Korea regarding the issuance structure for Korean-won stablecoins. The Bank of Korea advocates for a consortium model dominated by commercial banks, citing concerns about financial stability and the payments system, suggesting a bank-centered issuer design to mitigate risks to monetary policy and reserve assets. Conversely, the FSC opposes restrictive shareholding rules, fearing they would limit participation from non-bank entities like fintech and payment firms, thereby reducing industrial diversity. The FSC favors global trends that maintain open issuer participation while controlling risks through capital and liquidity requirements.

These institutional conflicts extend to supervisory authority allocation. The FSC insists on centralized authorization and supervision of stablecoins under its control, aligning with financial regulatory principles. Meanwhile, the Bank of Korea seeks effective involvement from the authorization phase based on payments and settlement stability concerns. Proposals to grant the Bank rights such as participation in inspections or emergency measures were opposed by the FSC, which argues that such involvement would complicate supervision and burden market players.

The regulatory uncertainty is creating anxiety within the virtual asset sector, as stablecoin institutionalization is seen as key to expanding practical applications like payments, remittances, and on-chain financial services. Legal ambiguity around issuance qualifications and supervision is hindering project development, with some banks and fintech companies considering consortium models but unable to proceed fully due to the lack of clear standards. Prolonged delays may push the market toward adopting foreign regulatory frameworks or foreign-currency-backed stablecoins.

The resolution of this dispute is viewed as pivotal for the future direction of Korea’s digital asset industry. The finalized approach to stablecoin issuance and supervision will determine whether the market becomes bank-centric or remains open to diverse private-sector participants. Industry stakeholders warn that overly narrow issuer scopes risk entrenching banks as dominant players, while overly broad regulation raises concerns about reserve asset management and de-pegging risks. The distribution of supervisory authority and safeguards will shape both the sector’s growth speed and its credibility.

은행권에 부는 AI 바람…하나은행 "2026년 생성형AI 전 계열사 정착"

Digital Daily | Local Language | News | Dec. 12, 2025 | UndeterminedTech Development/Adoption

Hana Bank plans to implement generative AI services across all its affiliates by 2026. Seo Il-sik, head of Hana Bank's Financial AI Department, highlighted the increasing customer expectations and the need for more personalized and sophisticated AI-driven financial services beyond traditional chatbot functions. The bank aims to enhance customer experience through advanced generative AI, which can handle complex financial inquiries and proactively provide personalized financial advice, while also reducing human errors and preventing financial accidents.

The bank is advancing its AI strategy with a focus on customer service and innovation, as well as strengthening employee capabilities in AI usage. Hana Bank intends to establish a service foundation by the second half of 2025 and extend integrated generative AI services in 2026. Currently, the bank has partially implemented generative AI, including a foreign language simultaneous interpretation service that will be expanded to 16 branches serving foreigners this year.

In preparation for upcoming regulations under the AI Basic Act and financial authority rules set to take effect in 2026, Hana Bank will also establish AI governance. Seo Il-sik emphasized that this governance framework will enhance customer trust and the quality of financial AI services.

Yonhap | English | News | Dec. 12, 2025 | Supply Chain Issues

Senior diplomats from South Korea and the United States held the 10th Senior Economic Dialogue in Washington on December 10, focusing on enhancing economic security and securing "trusted" supply chains. The talks followed a bilateral trade and investment agreement finalized during President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump's summit in late October. Both parties emphasized the need for joint economic security measures and discussed strengthening economic and national security alignment to maintain collective competitiveness and secure supply chains.

The two countries explored cooperation to address unfair trade practices and non-market policies, with particular attention on collaboration regarding critical minerals. U.S. official Jacob Helberg praised South Korea's leadership on resilient supply chains in regional and multilateral forums. The dialogue reaffirmed commitments made during summits in August and October, which have contributed to modernizing the U.S.-ROK Alliance.

Under the trade and investment deal, South Korea pledged to invest $350 billion in the U.S., including $150 billion in shipbuilding and another $200 billion in other sectors. In exchange, Washington agreed to reduce reciprocal tariffs on Korean goods from 25 percent to 15 percent. The State Department described the agreement as central to progress in reciprocal trade, energy security, shipbuilding, and emerging technologies. Discussions also covered South Korean investments in American manufacturing and efforts to facilitate Korean business travel to the U.S.