Kim Min-seok Pledges Push for Won Stablecoin, Tokenized Securities Framework

Democratic Party leadership candidate Kim Min-seok has integrated the institutionalization of won-pegged stablecoins and tokenized securities into his core financial reform agenda. During a July 22 press conference, Kim proposed a '4+1 reform' plan that prioritizes digital asset legislation to improve financial accessibility and consumer protection. This initiative aims to build upon the Virtual Asset User Protection Act by introducing a second-stage Framework Act on Digital Assets to regulate issuance and distribution. While tokenized securities legislation has already seen progress with amendments to the Electronic Securities Act and Capital Markets Act, won stablecoin frameworks remain under debate. Key regulatory hurdles include determining issuer eligibility, with the Financial Services Commission currently evaluating a bank-led consortium model. The proposed creation of a Special Committee on Public Assets and Financial Innovation signals a political push to accelerate these frameworks. These developments are significant for the RWA market as they represent a high-level legislative effort to provide legal clarity for domestic stablecoins and blockchain-based securities in South Korea. Establishing these standards is essential for integrating traditional financial infrastructure with distributed ledger technology.