Bank of Korea, Banque de France Hold Joint Seminar on Digital Assets, Climate Change

The Bank of Korea and the Banque de France held a joint seminar on the impact of digital assets and climate change on the macroeconomy. The discussions also covered cooperation between central banks as payment and settlement structures evolve and the monetary policy environment shifts.

According to a Bank of Korea statement on Aug. 7, the two central banks are holding the two-day seminar from Aug. 7 to Aug. 8 on digital assets and climate change. The event is part of a regular academic exchange between the two institutions to respond to changes in the global economic and financial environment, with the two sides taking turns hosting it since 2024.

Researchers from both institutions and academic experts participated in the seminar to share research findings and policy experience. Lee Jae-won, head of the Bank of Korea's Economic Research Institute, and Na Seung-ho, deputy head of the institute, attended from the Korean side. Agnès Bénassy-Quéré, second deputy governor of the Banque de France, and Stéphane Latouche, head of its Asia office, were among the French participants.

The impact of stablecoins and central bank digital currencies, or CBDCs, on payment and settlement systems and the international monetary system was a main topic of discussion. Participants also exchanged views on changes in the roles of central and commercial banks in a tokenized environment and the potential reorganization of financial intermediation.

The seminar also examined the effects of climate change on inflation and the broader economy. The two institutions reviewed the potential impact of climate-related risks on the financial system and discussed policy tasks for financial institutions to address them.

The two sides also shared views on the role of central banks and the direction of policy responses amid recent changes in the financial environment. They plan to continue expanding the seminar to strengthen academic exchanges and cooperation.