South Korea Sets July Deadline for Tokenized Securities Rules as Samsung SDS Builds Platform

South Korea’s financial regulator will publish detailed tokenized securities rules in July, aiming to enable pooled fractional investment products while Samsung SDS builds the underlying blockchain platform for the Korea Securities Depository.

Tokenized securities represent traditional assets such as stocks, bonds or money‑market funds recorded on a blockchain, allowing fractional ownership and programmable settlement. South Korea plans to issue detailed rules by July before the amended Capital Markets Act and Electronic Securities Act take effect on February 4 2027. The rules will cover issuance, trading, settlement and investor protection for tokenized stocks, bonds and MMFs.

Global markets are already experimenting with tokenized public securities, green bonds and tokenized money‑market funds, providing a benchmark for Seoul’s approach. The FSC is studying how to pool similar underlying assets into a single fractional product, moving beyond today’s limit of one asset per product.

FSC Vice Chairman Kwon Dae‑young said the authority will allow pooled fractional investment products within a set range, targeting a final model by July after industry feedback while preserving market order and investor protection.

The FSC announced it will publish the detailed tokenized securities rules in July, completing the regulatory framework ahead of the 2027 legal rollout.

Samsung SDS (018260.KS) is constructing a token securities platform for the Korea Securities Depository that will link the existing electronic securities system with blockchain‑based records to support issuance, circulation checks, rights management and real‑time monitoring. Samsung SDS’s market capitalization stands at roughly $12 billion, and its shares rose 1.8 % in today’s trading, while the KOSPI index hovered around 2,650 points.

The July rules will give issuers a clear path to create tokenized securities and allow investors to buy fractions of diversified asset pools, potentially lowering entry barriers for retail participants.

By building the platform now, Samsung SDS aims to provide the infrastructure needed for smooth settlement and compliance once the legal framework activates in 2027, reducing the risk of operational mismatches.

Market participants should expect the FSC to solicit feedback on the pooled fractional model over the coming weeks, with a final draft likely released alongside the July rule package.

Watch for the FSC’s July draft release and Samsung SDS’s pilot tests later this year.