"Korean Won Stablecoins: The Key to Advancing Global Finance Beyond Reshoring"

Academia and industry experts unanimously asserted that the issuance of Korean won stablecoins and the adjustment of derivatives-related regulations are essential tasks for the survival of Korea's financial system and securing global competitiveness. They argued that Korea must lead a new financial order through the establishment of a robust infrastructure and proactive national-level design.

At the second panel discussion of the seminar titled "Stop the Outflow of National Wealth Amounting to 131 Trillion Won: Digital Asset Basic Act and Onshore Capital Reshoring Strategy," held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Seoul on the 26th, Kang Byung-ha, Executive Director at Meritz Securities, stated, "Korean won stablecoins can not only repatriate capital that has flowed overseas, but also attract global investors and those from regions underserved by financial infrastructure to the domestic market." He analyzed, "Users want stable and reliable stablecoins, but due to a lack of options, funds are being moved abroad to places like Singapore. If a qualified operator builds the infrastructure and provides reliability based on existing trust, the technical barriers will not be significant."

Experts suggested that stablecoins are expected to become the fundamental layer of future blockchain systems. Kim Ho-jin, CEO of ShardLab, emphasized, "Only countries that proactively establish stablecoins as a core layer in the Web3 era can foster new unicorns. Stablecoins function much like iOS or Google App Store's operating systems in the mobile market. This will be the foundation not only for industrial development but also for startups and ecosystem participants that emerge in the future." He added, "For these reasons, stablecoins must be designed under the leadership of the national government."

Cho Jin-seok, CEO of CODA, pointed out, "In Korea, there is no virtual asset-based lending, futures, or derivatives market, so corporations are unable to find hedging tools. If the system is not prepared, the corporate market may be overtaken by overseas players." He suggested, "As new business fields expand rapidly on a global scale, an overly perfectionist approach may cause Korea to fall behind. A culture that values swift adaptation and improvement is needed."

Ryu Hyuk-sun, Professor at KAIST, said, "The creation of credit and derivatives markets for reshoring goes far beyond simple regulatory improvement—it is directly linked to the survival of Korea's financial system." He advised, "Korean won stablecoins should be designed not simply for issuance, but to generate real demand." He stressed, "Korea is already among the world's top three countries in terms of platforms, culture, and economic power, so developing a strategy for globalization is crucial. If the WonStable market is properly established, Korea will have a new opportunity based on currency reserve status."