Korea Investment & Securities Says Korean Won Stablecoin Needed to Expand Tokenized Securities

Park Sung-jin, head of digital asset strategy at Korea Investment & Securities, emphasized the necessity of a Korean won-denominated stablecoin to advance the local tokenized securities market. During an August 21 policy seminar in Seoul, Park highlighted the current friction between on-chain asset transfers and traditional off-chain cash settlement systems. While tokenized securities can move in seconds, current financial infrastructure limits cash settlement to business-day cycles, creating a significant efficiency gap. Park argued that stablecoins are the final piece of the puzzle to enable true on-chain settlement for tokenized assets. The firm is actively researching how smart contracts can imbue stablecoins with programmable functions beyond simple currency transfers. By comparing the potential of smart contracts to the early application ecosystem of smartphones, Park suggested that diverse use cases will eventually drive mass adoption. This strategic focus underscores the growing institutional interest in integrating stablecoins to bridge the divide between traditional finance and blockchain-based securities in South Korea.