Yoon Soo, President of the Korea Securities Depository, emphasized that for the token securities market to grow meaningfully, it must demonstrate differentiated utility.
In a speech at the '2026 Aju Economic Securities Forum' held on November 2 at the Korea Exchange in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul, he stated, "Our country already has a highly advanced securities infrastructure based on an electronic securities system," but added that to create differentiated utility, technological innovations must improve aspects that the existing infrastructure cannot accommodate.
He described the introduction of token securities as a change in how securities rights are recorded and managed. While maintaining the essence of securities as defined by capital market laws—such as stocks, bonds, and revenue securities—rights will be recorded and managed on a blockchain-based distributed ledger.
Yoon believes that successful establishment of the STO market requires improvements to the existing securities infrastructure and the establishment of investor protection measures. He stated, "The certainty of rights recorded on the distributed ledger and the clarity of the responsible parties must be established," explaining that this is why technological innovation and decentralization in the securities market cannot be emphasized without a regulatory framework.
He further noted, "Domestic regulations have directly granted legal status to distributed ledgers," indicating that distributed ledgers function not merely as data storage but as ledgers that confirm rights.
Yoon also highlighted the role of the Korea Securities Depository in enhancing the credibility of the token securities market. He said, "The Korea Securities Depository aims to be a 'reliable benchmark,' serving as a trusted anchor," and pledged to fulfill its legal role to ensure that investors' rights are accurately recorded and protected while respecting market autonomy and technological innovation.
He added that the Korea Securities Depository is preparing to participate on equal footing with other institutions in all market distributed ledgers and is building a 'token securities support platform,' which is set to open in February 2027, coinciding with the implementation of the law. He emphasized that the principle of 'technology neutrality' will be prioritized to avoid limiting market participants' technological choices.
In a speech at the '2026 Aju Economic Securities Forum' held on November 2 at the Korea Exchange in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul, he stated, "Our country already has a highly advanced securities infrastructure based on an electronic securities system," but added that to create differentiated utility, technological innovations must improve aspects that the existing infrastructure cannot accommodate.
He described the introduction of token securities as a change in how securities rights are recorded and managed. While maintaining the essence of securities as defined by capital market laws—such as stocks, bonds, and revenue securities—rights will be recorded and managed on a blockchain-based distributed ledger.
Yoon believes that successful establishment of the STO market requires improvements to the existing securities infrastructure and the establishment of investor protection measures. He stated, "The certainty of rights recorded on the distributed ledger and the clarity of the responsible parties must be established," explaining that this is why technological innovation and decentralization in the securities market cannot be emphasized without a regulatory framework.
He further noted, "Domestic regulations have directly granted legal status to distributed ledgers," indicating that distributed ledgers function not merely as data storage but as ledgers that confirm rights.
Yoon also highlighted the role of the Korea Securities Depository in enhancing the credibility of the token securities market. He said, "The Korea Securities Depository aims to be a 'reliable benchmark,' serving as a trusted anchor," and pledged to fulfill its legal role to ensure that investors' rights are accurately recorded and protected while respecting market autonomy and technological innovation.
He added that the Korea Securities Depository is preparing to participate on equal footing with other institutions in all market distributed ledgers and is building a 'token securities support platform,' which is set to open in February 2027, coinciding with the implementation of the law. He emphasized that the principle of 'technology neutrality' will be prioritized to avoid limiting market participants' technological choices.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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