장정수 한은 부총재보 "디지털 금융혁신, 금융시스템 안정 훼손 우려"

중앙은행 화폐 신뢰 기반 결제 인프라 강조

Jang Jeong-soo, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Korea, stated on November 11 that central banks worldwide are wary of the potential destabilization of future financial systems if they do not actively prepare for technological innovations.

During the opening remarks at the '2026 Payment System Conference' hosted by the Bank of Korea, Jang noted that the emergence of deposit tokens and stablecoins based on distributed ledger technology, the push for tokenization of real assets, and the rapidly evolving AI technology are significantly transforming the payment environment.

He emphasized that the arrival of new technologies and payment methods does not automatically signify the advancement of payment services, stressing the importance of ensuring that these innovations genuinely enhance the efficiency and safety of payment systems.

Jang also pointed out that while the innovations brought by AI technology present opportunities, they may also entail substantial costs for enhancing cybersecurity. He urged a thorough assessment of whether the payment infrastructure and its protective safety nets are adequately prepared to respond to new risks.

Furthermore, Jang highlighted the role of central bank money, stating that the core foundation supporting the trust in the payment system is central bank money, which carries no credit risk. He remarked that a key task for central banks moving forward is to create a payment infrastructure that maintains the trust provided by central bank money while fully leveraging the advantages brought by technological innovations.

Meanwhile, the Bank of Korea held a conference on the theme 'Innovation and Policy Tasks for Payment Infrastructure in the Digital Finance Era.'

The first session featured Andrey Pustelnikov from the Bank of England, who presented examples of payment system innovations to respond to tokenized asset transactions. The Bank of England is piloting a 'synchronized payment' method that links existing central bank payment systems with external asset platforms to simultaneously process asset transfers and payments.

The second session included Andrew McCormack from Nexus Global Payments, who introduced the 'Nexus Project,' an initiative aimed at improving cross-border remittances in the ASEAN region. This project connects rapid payment systems across countries to reduce remittance costs and processing times.

The final session featured José Vicente Matos Santana from the Central Bank of Brazil, who shared experiences regarding the implementation and operation of Brazil's real-time small payment system, 'Pix.'

The Bank of Korea aims to explore the development direction of domestic payment systems by examining innovative cases of payment infrastructure from major countries during this conference.

* This article has been translated by AI.

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