Ahn Do-geol Urges Swift Passage of Digital Asset Law, Says Democratic Party Has Draft Bill Ready

Ahn Do-geol, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea, called for swift enactment of the Digital Asset Basic Act to build digital payment infrastructure for the age of artificial intelligence agents.

Speaking in a congratulatory address at the Korea Strategic Economy Forum at Seoul's Lotte Hotel on July 21, Ahn said the law is needed to create a safe and reliable digital payment system.

He said AI is evolving beyond a technology that merely assists human work and is becoming a driver of both production and consumption, fundamentally reshaping the economy. AI agents are also emerging as a new class of consumers, searching for information and buying goods and services on behalf of people.

For AI agents to conduct real-time transactions around the clock without human intervention, Ahn said they need a means of reliably processing automated contracts and payments. He identified stablecoins as the relevant payment tool.

Ahn added that the Democratic Party's digital asset task force, where he served as secretary, has already prepared an integrated bill. He also said Deputy Prime Minister Koo Yun-cheol signaled in announcing his economic growth strategy for the second half that he intends to pursue prompt legislation, raising expectations that digital-asset institutionalization will gain further momentum in the National Assembly later this year.