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Jun 18, 2018
- Draft Bill Proposed for Introduction of Regulatory Framework for Financial Benchmarks
- BACKGROUNDThe FSC proposed a draft bill to introduce a regulatory framework to financial benchmarks. The new legislation was enacted in response to global regulatory moves in which major countries including the UK, EU, Australia and Japan adopted IOSCO’s Principles for Financial Benchmarks into their benchmark regulations. The extra-territorial effect of the EU Benchmark Regulation (BMR), which requires third party country administrators to be authorized by either one of the following three ways – endorsement, recognition or equivalence, prompted the need for Korea to introduce a corresponding regulatory regime in compliance with international standards. Domestically, there is a need as well for Korea to create a new regulatory regime for improving the accuracy and credibility of financial benchmarks and better protect financial consumers.Against this backdrop, the draft bill is intended to:• empower the FSC to designate financial benchmarks recognized as having a significant impact on financial markets as “significant benchmarks” to be subject to the new regulatory and supervisory framework;• stipulate conduct requirements for setting, publishing and using “significant benchmarks”; and• provide legal grounds for the FSC to impose corrective orders or penalties against any activities that could harm the accuracy and credibility of “significant benchmarks.”The proposal, open for public comments from June 18 until July 30, will be submitted to the National Assembly in September 2018.KEY PROVISIONS► Definition of a “financial benchmark”A financial benchmark is defined as a reference index used to determine the amount of payable to a counterparty of a financial contract or the value of a financial instrument; or an index used to calculate such amount or value.► Designation of a “significant benchmark”The new legislation is to empower the FSC to designate financial benchmarks recognized as having a significant impact on financial markets
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May 29, 2018
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May 23, 2018
- Plan to Facilitate the Use of Movable Assets as Collateral
- The FSC outlined its plan to make it easier for SMEs to borrow from banks, using their movable properties as collateral. On May 23, FSC Chairman Choi JongKu visited the Sihwa Industrial Complex, a cluster of SMEs in Gyunggi Province, to see a demonstration of how banks can utilize the Internet of Things (IoT) in tracking and monitoring movable assets offered as security – for example, factory machines. At a meeting with SME entrepreneurs on the site, Chairman Choi briefed on potential benefits of movables as collateral and FSC’s policy schemes to facilitate the use of movable assets as collateral.BENEFITS OF MOVABLE PROPERTIES AS COLLATERAL• Movable assets account for a large portion of SME’s assets so that they could serve as a useful funding source for start-ups and early-stage SMEs, which often lack immovable assets they can provide as collateral.• Movable assets grow along with the development of business, making it possible for start-ups and SMEs to use their movable property as collateral to get funds for growth capital.• A pool of movable assets, offered as a security, is less vulnerable to the volatility of business cycle and less likely to default in the event of an economic downturn.• Movable assets enable SMEs to borrow more loans at lower interest rates, compared to what they could have borrowed on credit.CURRENT PROBLEMS WITH MOVABLES AS COLLATERALDespite such benefits, movable assets have not been actively used as collateral. From a bank’s perspective, movable assets are considered to be a riskier security than immovable assets:• Movable property offered as security involves deprecation of value and difficulty of figuring out who is really entitled to the pledged asset.• They are also exposed to a risk of being damaged or lost, incurring extra expenses for monitoring and managing such collateral.• Markets in which movables offered as collateral can be traded are not sufficient enough to match supply and demand in such transaction,
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May 09, 2018
- Progress in Financial Reform and Policy Tasks Ahead
- FSC Chairman Choi JongKu held a press conference on May 9 to brief on progress the FSC has made in its financial reform initiatives and explain financial policy tasks ahead, on the occasion of the first anniversary of the Moon Jae-in administration.PROGRESS IN FINANCIAL REFORMIn line with the government’s policy agenda, the FSC pushed forward financial reform initiatives to achieve four major policy goals:• Enhancing trust of investors and consumers in the financial sector- The FSC outlined its plan to introduce a comprehensive supervisory framework for financial conglomerates, reflecting global supervisory principles intended to capture and manage a full spectrum of their group-wide risks.- The FSC proposed amendments to the Act on Corporate Governance of Financial Companies to address problems found in the actual practice of implementing corporate governance rules in financial companies.• Supporting the innovation-led growth of the Korean economy- A state-funded venture capital, Innovation Venture Fund, was launched in March, aiming to raise KRW 10 trillion of public and private capital over the next 3 years to finance innovative start-ups at each stage of their business cycle.- In April, the FSC completely banned the practice of requiring joint guarantee in public financial institutions, with which entrepreneurs had been burdened when making loans to start business.- Kosaq Venture Fund has attracted KRW 2.1 trillion since it was first launched in April to boost investment into Kosdaq-listed companies, as part of the FSC’s plan for vitalizing the Kosdaq market.• Expanding financial inclusion to better protect financial consumers- The FSC has written off KRW 33 trillion in long-overdue, small debt owed by financially marginalized borrowers to relieve their debt burden, helping them make a fresh start.- The FSC reduced the burden of financial cost for financial consumers by lowering statutory ceilings on interest rate, interest penalties on overdue loans a
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May 04, 2018
- Regulatory Reform on Entry Barriers to Financial Services Industry
- The FSC outlined its plan on regulatory reform on entry barriers to financial services business in a bid to promote competition and innovation in the financial sector. The proposal comes at a time when Korea’s financial industry is facing a paradigm shift that demands further innovation in response to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, prompting competition between incumbents and new entrants. It is the first-ever reform plan on entry barriers in 20 years since the current regulatory framework on market entry was established after the Asian financial crisis. Based on the review of the current regulations across the financial sector, the plan aims to overhaul entry requirements tailoring to the needs of each sector, encouraging innovative players to enter the market.Key Changes1. Expanding participation of private-sector expertsThe FSC will expand participation of private-sector experts in the decision-making process related to approval for new entrants. To this end, the FSC will create a 9-person committee of outside experts to evaluate competitive conditions in the financial sector on a regular basis, making it possible to make more objective and fair policy decisions.2. Lowering regulatory barriers to entryThe FSC will lower regulatory barriers to entry and reform entry-related regulations to allow ‘innovative challengers’ to enter the market.► Banking industryThe two internet-only banks, launched in 2017, are being considered to have brought positive changes to the banking sector as they has grown in size1 and promoted competition with incumbent banks. To deepen and broaden such changes, the FSC will consider allowing additional internet-only banks, if demand exists, based on reviews and evaluations of competitive conditions in the banking sector.► Insurance industryThe insurance industry is highly concentrated towards large insurers dealing with all types of life and property insurance. Such large insurers accounted for 99.5% of life insurance and 92% o
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Apr 04, 2018
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Mar 23, 2018
- Mandatory Disclosure of Corporate Governance to be Phased in from 2019
- The FSC and KRX plan to introduce mandatory disclosure of corporate governance into Kospi-listed companies with total asset value of more than KRW 2 trillion, starting from 2019, and phase it into all Kospi-listed companies over the next two years.BackgroundKorea introduced the “comply or explain” approach for corporate governance disclosure in March 2017, in which, on a voluntary basis, companies either comply with corporate governance principles, or explain publicly why if they do not comply.However, the voluntary disclosure has revealed some limitations including low participation of companies and poor quality of disclosed information, making it difficult to provide market participants with sufficient information about corporate governance such as a company’s decision-making structure and internal controls.Against this backdrop, the FSC came up with its plan to improve listed companies’ disclosure of corporate governance, based on discussions with relevant institutions including the KRX and the results of a survey conducted on listed companies.Key changes1. Mandatory disclosure of corporate governanceStarting from 2019, Kospi-listed companies with total asset value of more than KRW 2 trillion will be required to mandatorily disclose their corporate governance. The FSC considers expanding the mandatory disclosure to all Kospi-listed companies starting from 2021.※ The FSC is also considering introducing mandatory disclosure of corporate governance toKosdaq-listed companies. Details including the timing of introduction are left for further discussions.2. Guidelines on corporate governance disclosureTo improve the quality of disclosed information, guidelines will be provided to specify details of corporate governance principles that corporate governance reports must entail. That will enable investors to compare corporate governance information among listed companies and provide stakeholders with more useful information.※ The guidelines will be set out by
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Mar 15, 2018
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Feb 01, 2018
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Jan 23, 2018
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Jan 15, 2018
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Jan 11, 2018
- Measures to Vitalize Kosdaq Market
- The FSC announced measures for vitalizing the Kosdaq market to support the growth of start-ups and venture businesses. The measures are aimed at overhauling KOSDAQ listing requirements, strengthening Kosdaq’s competitiveness to compete with the KOSPI market, and improving market soundness and investor trust in Kosdaq.Key Measures1. Incentives to attract institutional investors▪ A new fund of KRW 300 billion, named ‘Kosdaq Scale-up Fund’ will be created with investments by the Korea Exchange (KRX), Korea Securities Deposit and relevant securities industry organizations to invest in Kosdaq-listed companies. 1st half of 2018▪ A new market index, named ‘KRX300,’ that incorporates Kospi and Kosdaq-listed companies will be introduced. Feb. 20182. Overhaul of Kosdaq listing requirementsKosdaq listing requirements will be revised in a way that puts more focus on a company’s growth potential. 1st half of 2018▪ Some requirements that hinder listings of start-ups will be abolished. To get listed on Kosdaq under the current rules, a company must generate profits from continuing operations and shall not be in a condition of capital impairment. Such requirements actually act as obstacles to listings of start-ups. It usually takes a considerable period of time for start-ups to generate profits; and some may undergo even capital erosion in the early stage of their business.▪ Listing requirements will be eased to allow Kosdaq listing of a company if the company meets certain threshold requirements in one of three criteria: pre-tax profit, market capitalization and equity capital.▪ To facilitate more listings under the so-called ‘Tesla standard,’1 underwriters with a track record of such listings will be exempted from the rules that oblige them to buy back shares for 90% of their IPO price if retail investors exercise their put-back options within a certain period of time, from one to six months, following the IPO.3. Kosdaq’s autonomy and independenceThe K
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Jan 08, 2018
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Nov 21, 2017
- The 4th UK-Korea Financial Cooperation Forum Held in Seoul
- The Korean Financial Services Commission (FSC) and the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) hosted the fourth UK-Korea Financial Forum in Seoul today with the UK Treasury, the Financial Conduct Agency (FCA) and the British Embassy. The annual event, which took place alternately in London and Seoul since 2014, has served as an occasion to deepen cooperation between the UK and Korean financial regulators and expand business opportunities for both countries’ financial companies.This year’s forum focused on new challenges facing financial services sectors in both countries: falling fertility rates, ageing population and evolving technology. These changes will bring opportunities as well as threats to the financial sector. In this context, topics of this year’s forum included “the Future of the Insurance and Pension Industries” and “How to Promote Innovation in Financial Services.” The forum was attended by Korean and UK officials, financial companies and fintech businesses.In his opening speech, Choi JongKu, Chairman of the FSC said, “The UK has traditionally been a leader in finance and continues to lead in recent trends including fintech, which provides useful policy implications for Korea.” He also stressed the importance of continued cooperation in dealing with new risks that might come from the development of digital finance.In the following session, Andrew Bailey, Chief Executive Officer of the FCA delivered a speech titled “Public Policy Challenges for Consumer Protection Regulators.” In his speech, Mr. Bailey shared the findings and policy implications from the Ageing Population Project, which the FCA launched in February in 2016 to explore how the ageing population would impact the financial services industry. He emphasized the role of financial regulators needs to evolve, corresponding to changes in financial services with ageing population.On the sidelines of the forum, FSC Chairman Choi JongKu held a meeting with UK officials including K
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Oct 24, 2017
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Sep 28, 2017
- Revision to the Act on External Audit of Stock Companies
- I. BackgroundThe Act on External Audit of Stock Companies (hereinafter referred as “the Act”) has gone through major improvements since the bill was enacted in 1981. Among them, the latest revision, passed by the National Assembly on September 28, 2017, is the most far-reaching reform of Korea’s accounting and audit practices, compared to a Korean version of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. To deter a repeat of major accounting scandals in recent years, the revised bill contains fundamental changes in a wide range of issues, including external auditor independence, corporate accountability, and penalties against wrongful acts. Those changes will set higher standards for all stakeholders in their role, including companies, auditors and financial regulators, to further advance Korea’s accounting reform efforts. The revised bill will take effect November 1, 2018, one year after the date of its promulgation.II. Key ProvisionsCompanies, greater accountability and stronger internal control1. The scope of companies subject to external audit, currently limited to ‘stock companies’ under the Act, will be expanded to include ‘limited liability companies (LLCs).’* Specifics about companies subject to external audit and the scope of disclosure of audit reports will be delegated to the subordinate Enforcement Decree of the Act.2. The right to appoint an external auditor, currently exercised by the company’s management, will be transferred to internal audit organizations such as the ‘statutory auditor’ or the ‘audit committee.’3. Companies will be held more accountable for preparation of their financial statements.► A company shall not require an external auditor to prepare financial statements on its behalf.► If a company fails to submit financial statements to the external auditor and the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) within the statutory deadline, six weeks before the general meeting of shareholders, the company’s representative director shall
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Aug 24, 2017
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Aug 02, 2017
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Jul 27, 2017
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Jul 26, 2017
