Press Releases - Financial Services Commission

Press Releases

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Oct 13, 2021

Household Loans, September 2021

The outstanding balance of loans to households rose KRW7.8 trillion at the end of September 2021 (up 9.2% year-on-year) in all financial sectors.The balance of household loans increased KRW6.5 trillion in the banking sector and KRW1.4 trillion in the non-banking sector. All financial sectors (y-o-y): +10.0% (Jul 2021) +9.5% (Aug 2021) +9.2% (Sep 2021) By type, mortgage loans increased KRW6.7 trillion in September, growing at a slower rate compared with the previous month (up KRW7.1 trillion y-o-y). Other types of loans saw a rise of KRW1.1 trillion, falling from KRW1.5 trillion a month ago, due to a drop in both personal credit-based and credit card loans. The balance of household loans grew at a slower rate in September, although the volume of growth remains high compared to pre-pandemic levels. The financial authorities are currently working on additional measures intended to curb the household debt growth. The authorities will ensure that the measures address the needs of lower income groups. * Please refer to the attached PDF for details.
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Oct 12, 2021

Government Proposes Revisions to Improve Asset-backed Securities Market

The government approved a revision proposal to the Asset-backed Securitization Act at a cabinet meeting held on October 12, with aims to improve efficiency in business fundraising activities through asset-backed securities (ABS) and close regulatory loopholes to strengthen risk management. The revision proposal is a follow-up measure to the governments plan to improve the ABS market announced in May last year.The bill is expected to be submitted to the National Assembly in October for further legislative actions. Key Details I. Facilitate business fundraising through asset-backed securities (Expanding scope of ABS issuing businesses) The revision proposal expands the scope of businesses allowed to raise funds through ABS by abolishing the credit rating requirement which currently permits ABS issuance to only those with BB ratings or above. To ensure investor protections, only businesses subject to external audit and meet certain conditions will be allowed to issue ABS. (Diversifying ABS type and structure) The revision proposal establishes a legal ground to diversify the type and structure of ABS by (a) allowing businesses to use future assets and intellectual property rights in raising funds and (b) allowing multi-seller programs in which a special purpose company issues securitized assets with assets transferred from multiple businesses. (Streamlining ABS registration process) The revision proposal reduces the burden of registration requirements in the cases where there exist no issues over investor protections or profit rights. II. Strengthen risk management (ABS disclosure requirement) The revision proposal introduces a disclosure requirement on all asset-backed securitiesboth registered and unregisteredwith a fine for violating the disclosure rule. An integrated information platform on the ABS market has been set up at Korea Securities Depository and in operation since January this year. (Risk retention rule) The revision proposal requires asset holders (origin
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Oct 07, 2021

Financial Authorities to Closely Monitor Market Situations and Manage Risk Factors

FSC Chairman Koh Seungbeom held a meeting on October 7 to review market situations and risk factors surrounding the recent volatility in financial markets. At the meeting, Chairman Koh said that the recent volatility in stock markets is largely attributable to external factors, such as global inflation, the tapering moves and debt ceiling negotiations in the U.S. and Chinas power shortages and Evergrande debt crisis. As market volatility is expected to continue for some time, Chairman Koh urged the authorities to stay vigilant and closely monitor market situations. Chairman Koh added that excessive anxiety is not desirable given strong exports and macroeconomic conditions. While maintaining close cooperation with relevant institutions, the authorities will closely monitor investment activities and market situations to appropriately respond to rising volatility and help prevent the spread of market anxiety. * Please refer to the attached PDF for details.
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Sep 30, 2021

FSC Chairman Discusses Fostering Stability and Development in Capital Markets

FSC Chairman Koh Seungbeom met with relevant officials in the capital marketson September 30 and held talks on ways to promote stability and development in the capital markets. The following is a summary of Chairman Kohs remarks. Recent Trends in Capital Markets (Quantitative Expansion) The capital markets in Korea have recently seen an unprecedented level of expansion with the market capitalization of listed stocks reaching more than KRW2.65 quadrillion as of September 29, 2021, which is about 1.3 times greater than the level of GDP (KRW1.93 quadrillion at the end of 2020). The number of retail investors also increased significantly to almost ten million individuals. As a result, many securities firms and asset management companies saw their largest gain in net profits last year. (Major Changes) Despite this quantitative expansion in market size, there are a few notable changes to consider. There have been cases where domestic firms chose an overseas market for their company listing and domestic investors are increasingly investing in foreign stocks. There is also a growing tendency of investors bypassing intermediaries and directly engaging in investment. The emergence of new asset class, such as virtual assets and non-fungible tokens, is often considered to be in competition with the more traditional financial investment instruments. Policy Issues Amid rapid growth and structural changes taking place in the capital markets, it is necessary to focus more on the fundamentals. The capital markets should first and foremost help individuals with asset formation by providing steady returns over the long run. In particular, the capital markets should help divert much concentrated assets in the real estate market and introduce diverse investment instruments and services to help absorb shocks originating from demographic changes and other socioeconomic transitions taking place. Second, the capital markets cannot turn profits without the growth of companies. In order to in
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Sep 29, 2021

FSC Decides to Extend the Period on Some of Temporary Deregulatory Measures

The FSC decided to extend the period of some of the pandemic response deregulatory measures introduced in April last year at its regular meeting held on September 29. Background The FSC and the FSS introduced the plans for temporary easing of financial regulations in response to COVID-19 in April last year.The authorities have been reviewing the progress and situations regarding the 25 deregulatory measures put in place to deal with the COVID-19 crisis. Among them, the authorities decided to temporarily extend the period of some of the deregulatory measures related to financial institutions liquidity ratio and loan-to-deposit ratio until the end of March 2022. With regard to the eased rule on the credit extension between financial holding companies own subsidiaries, the authorities decided to let it expire as it is no longer deemed as necessary. The pandemic-related deregulatory measures have helped financial institutions to provide adequate levels of loan support to SMEs and small merchants struggling through the pandemic in the form of maturity extensions and payment deferrals. The measures also helpedeither directly or indirectlyto expand capital flows to support the real economy. Key Details With the availability of loan maturity extensions and payment deferments for small merchants and SMEs extended for six more months until March 2022,the availability of relevant deregulatory measures will also be extended accordingly as shown below. a) (Banks) Temporary lowering of total LCR foreign currency LCR: Initially scheduled to expire at the end of September 2021 Extended until the end of March 2022 b) (Banks) Temporary lifting of LTD ratio: Initially scheduled to expire at the end of December 2021 Extended until the end of March 2022. c) (Banks) Lowering risk weights on business loans to self-employed small merchants: Initially scheduled to expire at the end of September 2021 Extended until the end of December 2021 d) (Credit finance savings banks) Temporary lifting
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Sep 28, 2021

Conflict of Interest Rule Introduced for VASPs to Improve Transparency in Transactions

The government introduced the conflict of interest rule for virtual asset service providers through a revision to the Enforcement Decree of the Act on Reporting and Using Specified Financial Transaction Information, which was approved at a cabinet meeting held on September 28. The conflict of interest rule prohibits VASPs from trading virtual assets issued by their own platforms or by other specially related entitiesand restricts operators and staff members of VASPs from trading virtual assets via their own platforms. The measures are intended to prevent damages to users and improve transparency in virtual asset transactions. VASPs are required to set up internal standards regarding the conflict of interest rule within one month. A failure to implement the rule may be subject to suspension of business or up to KRW100 million in fine. The revised Enforcement Decree will take effect immediately after promulgation. *Please refer to the attached PDF for details.
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Sep 28, 2021

FSC Chairman Discusses Key Policy Issues with Heads of State-backed Financial Institutions

FSC Chairman Koh Seungbeom met with the heads of eight state-backed financial institutions on September 28 and held talks on key policy issues and the role of state-backed financial institutions. The following is a summary of Chairman Kohs remarks. (COVID-19 Crisis Management, Orderly Exit Future Preparation) Chairman Koh first talked about the need to consider an orderly normalization process and preparation for the future along with the COVID-19 crisis management measures. In this regard, Chairman Koh put forward four key policy tasks(a) provision of adequate support for vulnerable sectors, (b) management of financial imbalances aimed at maintaining stability, (c) restoration of market functions in a gradual manner and (d) enhancing the role of finance to support new growth industries. With regard to the role of state-backed financial institutions, Chairman Koh urged them to provide sufficient buffer to vulnerable sectors and work to make a transition from the current paradigm of emergency support to recovery support in the area of industrial financing. As these tasks require an accurate understanding about the situation, clear analysis about policy effects as well as future forecasts, Chairman Koh pledged to closely communicate with experts from diverse areas. (Loan Support Extension) As a first step toward an orderly exit, Chairman Koh discussed the provision of loan maturity extensions and principal and interest payment deferments, which was recently made available for six more months until March next year.In this regard, participants agreed to work on a speedy provision of support through acquisition of nonperforming loans, debt adjustment programs, as well as through liquidity provision worth KRW4 trillion. To provide a strong backstop to lower income groups, Chairman Koh urged them to continue to expand the availability of microfinance support. (Strengthening Household Debt Management Measures) In order to maintain stability in the financial system, Chairman
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Sep 27, 2021

FSC Chairman Holds Talks with Market Experts and Discusses Risk Factors in Markets

FSC Chairman Koh Seungbeom held a meeting with economic and financial market experts on September 27 and discussed diverse risk factors in both domestic and overseas financial markets. The following is a summary of Chairman Kohs remarks. In order to deal with the issue of excessive household debt or risks emanating from global financial imbalances, it is necessary to (a) clearly understand the structure of the problem, (b) preemptively remove the trigger factor safely and completely and (c) raise alertness to prepare for risks. The first step requires an understanding of risk factors in the current economic and financial markets as well as their causal linkages to other factors and areas. The excessive liquidity and low interest rate conditions amid the pandemic have led to increased risks of excessive indebtedness and asset price hikes. To deal with these conditions, the Fed has announced a tapering move beginning in this year and Chinas government has rolled out strict regulations to control the real estate market. As such, market volatility has been expanding in global financial and asset markets. There are also possibilities of a prolonging inflation as the pace of global economic recovery has been slowing and the gap between the developed and developing countries widens due to uneven supply of vaccines and rises in raw material prices. Against this backdrop, it is necessary to prepare for abrupt changes in external environment while working to preemptively remove risk factors, such as excessive indebtedness and housing market overheating. In this process, provision of support for vulnerable groups should also be maintained. With regard to the second step of preemptively removing the trigger factor safely and completely, the government decided to extend the availability of pandemic-related loan support for small merchants and SMEs for six more months until March next year and to expand microfinance support for vulnerable groups.The authorities are also continuin
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Sep 26, 2021

42 VASPs File Registration Reports with KoFIU

FSC Chairman Koh Seungbeom held a meeting with relevant officials on September 26 to go over the registration status of virtual asset service providers (VASPs) and discuss measures to prevent damages to consumers. As the September 24 deadline has ended, 42 VASPs have filed registration reports with the Korea Financial Intelligence Unit (KoFIU). Key Details (Registration Status of VASPs) As of September 24, 42 VASPs have completed filing their registration reports, which include 29 virtual asset trading platforms (or crypto exchanges) and 13 other virtual asset-related services (e.g. virtual asset wallet or depository service providers). The KoFIU and the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) will evaluate registration reports and decide whether to accept their registrations within three months. (Termination of Business Operation) Among 66 virtual asset trading platforms which have been in business operations, 29 entities with Information Security Management System (ISMS) certifications, which account for about 99.9 percent of the market (as of September 21, 2021), have completed submitting their registration reports. Out of the 29 trading platforms, 25 entities that have not secured partnership with banks for real-name verified accounts were found to have terminated the KRW-based trading services as they filed for registration to provide trading services in virtual assets only. Considering that those that have failed to submit their registration reports by the deadline represent less than 0.1 percent of the market, the possibility of user damages has been significantly reduced. For the remaining 37 entities (in group C and D) that have not been able to obtain ISMS certifications and thus are subject to business closure, 36 of them except for one new entrant that has yet to start operatinghave terminated their business operations. As of September 21, the total amount of deposits (in KRW) held by these unqualified entities (in group C) stood at about KRW4.18 billion, do
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Sep 23, 2021

FSC to Continue to Work on Improving Retail Investors' Access to Stock Short Selling

The FSC announced the latest trends in retail investors short selling activities as stock short selling became available for KOSPI 200 and KOSDAQ 150 from May 3 this year. Key Details (Short Selling Activities) Between May 3 and September 17 this year, the daily average short selling volume dropped about 12 percent compared to the period between January 2 and March 13 in the previous year.Given a large increase in the overall volume of stock market transactions, the proportion of short selling in relation to the total trading amount remains about a half the previous level. The short selling transaction volume by foreigners and retail investors increased while that by institutional investors declined. The daily average short selling volume by foreigners rose about 21 percent compared to the previous year, but the proportion of short selling vis--vis the total trading amount by foreigners dropped.The daily average short selling volume by institutional investors fell by more than a half from KRW286.0 billion to KRW126.4 billion as the revised rules on market makers began to take effect from April this year. (Trends of Retail Investors) Since the partial resumption of short selling began in May, the daily average short selling volume by retail investors stands at about KRW11.0 billion, which is an increase of about 41 percent compared to the previous year. The weight of retail investors in the total short selling volume rose to 1.9 percent in 2021 from 1.2 percent in the previous year. The top ten stock items that were mostly targeted by retail investors for short selling appeared to be similar to those targeted by overall short sellers including foreigners and institutions. The authorities found no meaningful correlation between the amount of short selling and individual share prices. Nor was there any meaningful relationship between the proportion of short selling and the performance of stock prices in the market. As of September 2021, the number of securities firms o
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Sep 22, 2021

FSC and FSS Hold Meeting to Review Registration of VASPs

FSC Chairman Koh Seungbeom presided over a joint meeting between the FSC and the FSS on September 22 to review the progress of registration of virtual asset service providers as the September 24 deadline for business registration draws near. Key Details (Registration Status of VASPs) As of September 22, six VASPshave filed their registration reports and the authorities have so far decided to grant approval to one entity (Upbit). *VASPs: Upbit (Aug. 20), Bithumb (Sep. 9), Coinone (Sep. 10),Korbit (Sep. 10), Flybit (Sep. 17) Other (wallet or depository service provider): KODA (Sep. 17) The authorities expect that most VASPs and other entities (wallet or depository service providers) that have obtained ISMS certifications will file registration reports as 31 other entities (21 VASPs and 10 others) besides those mentioned above have entered preliminary consultation. Since September 17 when VASPs were required to start issuing advance notices about the prospect of business termination, the FSC and the FSS have been operating a monitoring team to review compliance on a daily basis. Except for four entities that have secured partnership with banks to open real-name transaction accounts, the authorities confirmed that 24 entities with ISMS certifications have put up notices informing about termination of KRW-based transaction services. Out of 14 entities that have applied for but failed to obtain ISMS certification, the authorities found that most of them have put up notices concerning their business termination or have already closed their business. (Chairmans Remarks on VASPs) In order to prevent and minimize potential damages incurred to virtual asset service users, Chairman Koh urged them to continuously check whether their VASPs have obtained ISMS certification and/or have been approved for operating their business beyond the September 24 deadline. While expressing his appreciation for VASPs that have been complying with the authorities recommendation to inform their c
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Sep 16, 2021

FSC and Industry Groups Agree on Six-month Extension of Loan Support for Small Businesses

FSC Chairman Koh Seungbeom held a meeting with the heads of the financial industrys self-regulatory organizations on September 16 and agreed to provide loan maturity extension and deferment of principal and interest payments to SMEs and small merchants that have been struggling through COVID-19 for six more months until the end of March 2022. Chairman Koh and the heads of financial associations also agreed to work for an orderly normalization process as there are concerns about potential risks to financial institutions and accumulation of payment burdens on debtors. Background The financial authorities have held a series of meetings recently with relevant groups and institutions over the issue of whether to extend the period of loan maturity extensions and payment deferrals in order to listen to diverse opinions and establish a common ground. Today, the government and the financial industry groups reached a final agreement to extend the availability of loan maturity extensions and deferments of principal and interest payments for SMEs and small merchants for six more months until the end of March 2022. The financial industry groups agreed on an extension as businesses continue to face difficulties amid rising COVID-19 cases and the total amount of support provided through interest payment deferrals as well as the balance of loans have not grown to significant levels. Working on Orderly Normalization Process The government and the financial industry groups agreed to work for an orderly normalization from COVID-19 support measures by implementing the following. a) For debtors with repayment capabilities, lenders will offer repayment plans tailored to individual debtors needs by offering up to one year of non-payment period and up to five years for installment payments. b) For vulnerable debtors, assistance programs will be offered through debt adjustment. Pre-workout programs offered by individual lenders will be made available not only to individual business owners b
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Sep 14, 2021

FSC Chairman Discusses Important role of Microfinance Policy

FSC Chairman Koh Seungbeom visited the Korea Inclusive Finance Support Center on September 14 and held a meeting with small merchants and self-employed business owners on the governments microfinance programs. Chairmans Remarks Microfinance policies are aimed at providing both financing and welfare opportunities. On the one hand, there is an obligation to make available adequate levels of low interest rate loans and debt adjustment opportunities to those that need them. On the other hand, there exist concerns over the possibility of loan defaults and the issue of moral hazard. Microfinance opportunities need to be provided in a flexible manner against the backdrop of a financial environment with these conflicting issues. With the lowering of the maximum legal lending and enhanced household debt management measures, lower income individuals with low credit backgrounds may face difficulties in accessing financing opportunities. With lower income individuals and other vulnerable groups continuing to face economic hardships due to COVID-19, it is important to make sufficient support available to them. To this end, the authorities have increased the amount of support available for microfinance from KRW7.9 trillion to KRW9.6 trillion.In this regard, a number of new microloan products were launched in this year to help prevent lower income earners and low credit holders from falling into a lending cliff. For individuals that have been hit by the COVID-19 and for young adults, the authorities will work to come up with more targeted support measures. For self-employed business owners facing the risk of business closure due to COVID-19, loan maturity extensions and payment deferrals as well as ultra-low rate loans have been made available. The authorities will look into ways to improve the debt adjustment programs to help those unable to pay off debt get back on their feet. The authorities will also work to introduce a new installment savings program with interest rate benefi
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Sep 13, 2021

FSC Plans to Make Fractional Trading of Domestic and Foreign Stocks More Widely Available

The FSC announced its plans to make fractional trading of both domestic and foreign stocks more widely available to help improve access and convenience for investors. Background In 2019, the FSC allowed fractional trading of foreign stocks offered by Shinhan Investment and Korea Investment Securities by designating them as innovative financial services to be granted regulatory exemptions under its financial regulatory sandbox program. As a result, by the end of June 2021, the number of fractional stock traders at Shinhan Investment and Korea Investment Securities reached about 140,000 and 510,000, respectively, with their investment amounts standing at KRW270 million and KRW750 million each. However, fractional trading of domestic stocks remained unavailable due to the principle of indivisibility of shares as well as the non-fractional share-based design with which the domestic securities trading and depository infrastructures was set up. To help improve investor access and convenience, the FSC plans to make improvements to the current fractional trading system and make fractional trading of both domestic and foreign stocks available. Key Details Unlike the current system where individual securities firms have to apply for regulatory exemptions to provide fractional trading services, the new system will be based on a special infrastructure set up at Korea Securities Depository (KSD) that is dedicated to fractional trading and can be accessed and used by any securities firms that wish to offer fractional trading services to their customers. This will strengthen the safety and convenience of fractional trading in both domestic and foreign stocks. (Foreign Stocks) Stock trading in fractional shares of foreign stocks will be directly recorded in the securities firms account books. KSD will maintain separate account books on fraction trades and regularly check their consistency with those of securities firms. Investors will be able to trade in fractional shares of foreig
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Sep 10, 2021

FSC Chairman Meets with Heads of Major Financial Holding Companies

FSC Chairman Koh Seungbeom met with the heads of major financial holding companies on September 10 and held talks on ways to strengthen household debt management as well as the issue of loan maturity extensions and payment deferrals. As it was the first time that Chairman Koh has held a meeting with the five CEOs of financial holding companies in his current role, at the beginning of the meeting, Chairman Koh laid out his principle of financial policy and supervisory role of the FSC as aiming for market-friendly policy and supervision with respect for the creativity and autonomy of financial institutions. With regard to the matters concerning internal management of individual institutions, such as interest rates, fees and dividends, Chairman Koh stated that he will respect individual firms decisions. Even when intervention is inevitable for the purpose of maintaining macroeconomic soundness and consumer protection, Chairman Koh said that interventions will take place at a minimum level through a fair and transparent procedure in a market-friendly and market-centered approach based on sufficient communication and collaboration with market participants. On the issue of household debt growth, Chairman Koh raised concerns about asset market overheating and the mutually reinforcing effects between the two. Chairman Koh spoke about household debt management as a top policy priority and pledged to effectively implement the measures in place while working to come up with improved measures. With regard to the loan maturity extensions and payment deferrals set to expire at the end of September, Chairman Koh said that the authorities are considering diverse factors, such as the demand from SMEs and small merchants, repayment burdens of long-term borrowers, potential default risks and so on, while emphasizing the importance of cooperation to arrive at a reasonable solution. Chairman Koh and the five CEOs also held talks on regulatory issues surrounding digital transformation an
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Sep 09, 2021

Authorities Hold Kick-off Meeting on Designation of Additional Data Specializing Institutions

The FSC held the first taskforce meeting on the designation of additional data specializing institutions on September 9 as the authorities take into account recent growth in interest and demand for data convergence between financial and non-finance related data. In response to such growth in demand, the financial authorities are planning to designate additional entities as data specializing institutions alongside the four entities already operating in this capacity. In order to prevent excessive competition arising between data specializing institutions, the issue of designating additional entities will be thoroughly reviewed and discussed by experts within the taskforce who specialize in the field of consumer protection and data convergence. The taskforce will operate until October and decide on the basic principles and standards for designating qualified data specializing institutions and establish transparent and objective procedures for designating such entities. Along this line, the authorities are conducting a week-long demand survey. The authorities plan to make a more detailed announcement in October with the selection of additional data specializing institutions expected in the first quarter of next year. * Please refer to the attached PDF for details.
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Sep 09, 2021

FSC Announces 10% Stake in Woori Financial Group to be Sold

The FSC announced its plan to sell ten percent of the remaining stake (15.13%) held by the Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation in Woori Financial Group through competitive bidding. Background With the goal of complete privatization of WFG, the government has been selling KDICs stake in WFG through a series of block sales and competitive auctions over the years. The sales allowed the government to recoup about 89.6 percent of public funds and afforded WFG with management autonomy as its MOU with the KDIC has been retracted in 2016. The KDICs sale of 29.7 percent stake in December 2016 further accelerated WFGs privatization process. However, as the KDIC still maintained the largest shareholder status, the Public Fund Oversight Committee announced the roadmap for selling remaining stake in WFG in June 2019. Thereafter, the KDIC sold two percent of its remaining stake through a block sale on April 9, 2021. After assessing market demand, on August 23, the PFOC decided to sell up to ten percent of KDICs remaining stake in WFG through competitive bidding. Details Ten percent of shares will be put up for sale with minimum bidding of one percent through a competitive auction with highest bidders winning the auction. However, when no workable competition is established or the bidding price is below the PFOC set price, the sales method may change to a block sale. Investors who newly acquire four percent or more of stake are granted right to recommend an outside director to the board. Successful sales of KDICs stake in WFG at this round may lead to the completion of the privatization process of WFG in essence, since the KDIC may no longer be the largest shareholder with its right to recommend an outside director also taken away. Schedule With the sales notice announced on September 9, letters of intent (LoIs) will be due on October 8 and the bidding will close and winning bidders selected in November. * Please refer to the attache PDF for details.
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Sep 09, 2021

Additional New Deal Fund Worth KRW100 Billion Planned for This Year

The FSC announced the governments plan to create an additional New Deal fund in the amount of KRW100 billion this year. The additional New Deal fund will be financed through KRW80 billion investments from the private sector including investments from institutional and retail investors while the remaining KRW20 billion will be financed through fiscal spending. The fiscal investment portion of the fund will be injected with a subordinate position to help absorb losses first and alleviate risks for private sector investors. The newly created New Deal fund will make investments in listed companies or prospective listed companies in K-New Deal sectors. Profits generated from investments will be shared with the retail investors who made investments in the fund. The Korea Development Bank and the Korea Growth Investment Corporation will announce the opening of applications for fund management companies on September 10. They will select eight fund management companies by the end of October and the sales process will open for two weeks for retail investors at the end of November or early December. The authorities plan to keep the public regularly informed about fund management strategies and closely monitor the status and progress of investments. * Please refer to the attached PDF for details.
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Sep 09, 2021

FSC Chairman Holds Talks with SME and Small Merchant Groups

FSC Chairman Koh Seungbeom met with the heads of the Korea Federation of SMEs and other relevant industry groups representing small merchants on September 9 and held talks on the coronavirus support measures. The following is a summary of Chairman Kohs remarks. The Korean economy has undergone major changes since the coronavirus outbreak began in February last year. In response to COVID-19, the government rolled out KRW175 trillion-plus stimulus programs to overcome the crisis. To support SMEs and small merchants, ultra-low rate loans and special guarantees were provided. Along this line, maturity extensions on existing loans and deferments on interest and principal payments became available through all financial sectors. Following concerns over possible credit rating downgrades and deteriorating lending conditions, the authorities urged all financial sectors to take into account individual businesses recovery prospects when assessing their credit standing for loans. Due to these measures, the liquidity risks of SMEs and small merchants have come down in large parts with improvements also shown in terms of their credit standings. The economy and financial markets now show signs of stability backed by active response from the government and efforts by businesses. However, SMEs and small merchants in contact-intensive sectors, such as restaurants, hospitality, tourism and wholesale and retail, continue to face difficult situations, especially with growing numbers of newly infected cases from July. With regard to the possibility of providing another extension on loan maturity extensions and payment deferrals, which have been extended twice for a six-month period each, the authorities will work to come up with optimal measures as soon as possible while considering the coronavirus situation, conditions of the real economy and comments from the financial sectors. * Please refer to the attached PDF for details.
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Sep 08, 2021

FSC Issues 2-YR Extension of Designation on Six ‘Innovative Financial Services’

The FSC decided to issue 2-year extension of designation on the six previously designated innovative financial services at its 16th regular meeting held on September 8. The innovative financial services selected for two more years in the regulatory sandbox program were those that had been designated on October 2, 2019. The 2-year extension period will be between October 2, 2021 and October 1, 2023. The total number of innovative financial services stands at 153 as of today. Overview of Innovative Financial Services 1) The prepaid rewards points based debit card issuance service by Hana Card 2) The gift card transaction service for financial investment through online e-commerce platforms by Korea Investment Securities 3) The individually tailored pension and asset management platform service by Wealth Guide 4) The facial recognition enabled payment service by Shinhan Card 5) The vishing scam and false wire transfer prevention service by Korea Credit Bureau 6) The credit evaluation service using telecommunications bills and e-commerce data history for small merchants by SK Telecom * Please refer to the attached PDF for details.
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