New policy institute outlines a strategy linking Korea’s manufacturing strength with blockchain, stablecoins and AI-driven commerce.
SEOUL, Oct. 28, 2026 — South Korea must move beyond its role as a global manufacturing powerhouse and take a more active part in shaping the rules of digital finance, experts said at the inaugural seminar of the Seoul Crypto Institute (SCI) on Wednesday.
Held under the theme “G3 Korea: The Crypto Transformation,” the event brought together policymakers, legal specialists, academics and industry representatives to discuss the country's position in an evolving global financial system.
Park Jong-baek, SCI's founding president and a partner at law firm Bae, Kim & Lee, said Korea's industrial capabilities have yet to translate into comparable influence over international financial standards.
“Can we move beyond being a country that manufactures world-class products to one that writes the rules of a new economic order?” Park said.
SCI's “G3 Korea” vision seeks to position the country as an influential player alongside the United States and China by combining manufacturing expertise with digital financial infrastructure.
The institute plans to focus on tokenized capital markets, cross-border payments and the legal frameworks needed to support blockchain-based commerce.
Stablecoins and Financial Sovereignty
Kang Hyung-koo, a professor at Hanyang University, warned that digital finance is becoming a strategic battleground for major economies.
While the United States is expanding dollar-backed stablecoin infrastructure and China is developing its own digital payment networks, South Korea remains focused on domestic regulatory questions, including stablecoin issuance and cryptocurrency exchange ownership, Kang said.
He argued that blockchain-based settlement could significantly reduce international payment costs and processing times, strengthening the competitiveness of Korean exporters.
However, excessive reliance on dollar stablecoins could also leave the country dependent on foreign-controlled financial infrastructure.
Kang called for the development of competitive domestic payment systems rather than restrictions on overseas technologies.
AI Could Reshape Digital Commerce
The seminar also explored how artificial intelligence could transform payments and the economics of digital content.
Kang predicted that AI agents will increasingly purchase services, access information and execute transactions on behalf of consumers.
Such changes could challenge advertising and subscription-based business models, particularly in journalism and digital entertainment.
Automated micropayments, including technologies such as the x402 protocol, could provide alternative ways to compensate content creators and data providers.
The implications extend to manufacturing and international trade, where AI-driven transactions may require faster and more programmable payment infrastructure.
From Research to Policy
SCI aims to operate as an “action tank,” translating research into legislative recommendations, industry pilot projects and international cooperation.
The institute's launch reflects growing private-sector interest in ensuring that South Korea participates in developing global digital-finance standards rather than simply adopting systems created elsewhere.
Its success will depend on whether proposed reforms translate into practical applications while maintaining financial stability and investor protection.
As stablecoins, tokenization and AI reshape economic activity, SCI's emergence highlights a broader challenge for South Korea: converting its established industrial strength into influence over the financial infrastructure of the next digital economy.
