The South Korean government plans to establish a regulatory framework for stablecoins this year and introduce a digital asset spot ETF.

On January 9, South Korea’s government plans to enact the **Digital Assets (Virtual Assets) Second Stage Act** this year—establishing a stablecoin regulatory system and linked cross-border stablecoin transaction framework—according to News1. The plan is part of the “2026 Economic Growth Strategy” released January 5, overseen by the Financial Services Commission (FSC). For stablecoins, the legislation will require an issuance license system (with capital requirements), reserve asset management (reserves equal to or exceeding 100% of issued stablecoins), and redemption request rights, among other rules. The FSC and Ministry of Economy and Finance will also set up a regulatory scheme for cross-border stablecoin transfers and transactions tied to the act. This year, South Korea also aims to launch digital asset spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Previously, spot ETF trading was barred for assets like Bitcoin because they weren’t recognized as valid ETF underlying assets—this move aligns with active Bitcoin spot ETF trading in the U.S., Hong Kong, and other regions. Additionally, the government targets 25% of national treasury funds being held in “deposit tokens” (digital currency) by 2030. To support this, it will amend laws like the **South Korean Banking Act** and **National Treasury Fund Act** after reviewing pilot results, and establish legal frameworks for blockchain-based payments this year. It also plans to promote electronic wallet payments, including operational advancement fees.