Samsung SDS will build and operate the official security token platform for the Korea Securities Depository (KSD), marking a pivotal step toward digitalizing Korea's capital markets.
This development is not a sudden leap but the result of a carefully orchestrated sequence of events. The journey began with a clear policy direction, followed by technical validation, and was finally triggered by tangible market demand. Think of it as building a highway: you need the government's plan, then a successful pilot road, and finally, enough cars to justify opening it to the public.
The causal chain here is quite clear. First, in February 2023, the Financial Services Commission (FSC) laid the regulatory foundation by announcing its framework for security tokens. This act officially brought security tokens within the established legal system and designated the KSD to manage the total supply, giving the market a clear path forward. Second, the KSD launched its technical testbed in June 2025. This platform proved that the core functions—like managing total supply and linking with external distributed ledgers—were viable, building confidence in the technology. Third, market demand became undeniable in early 2026. Major companies like Mirae Asset and POSCO International successfully issued digital bonds, proving there was a real need for a robust, official infrastructure to manage these new assets.
Furthermore, this initiative aligns perfectly with other major financial digitalization projects. The Bank of Korea's 'Project Han River,' which explores a tokenized deposit system, is a key parallel effort. For a security token market to thrive, it needs an efficient, digital way to handle payments and settlements. The restart of this project in March 2026 signaled that all the necessary pieces for a digital financial ecosystem were coming together, making it the right time to build the core securities platform.
For Samsung SDS, winning this contract is a major achievement. It positions the company at the heart of Korea's next-generation financial infrastructure. By securing the role of building and operating this mission-critical system, Samsung SDS has not only won a significant project but has also established itself as a trusted leader in the future of finance.
- Security Token: A digital asset that represents ownership of a real-world asset like stocks, bonds, or real estate. It is recorded on a blockchain or distributed ledger.
- Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT): A digital system for recording transactions in which the records are stored in multiple places at the same time. Unlike a central database, there is no single point of control or failure.
- Total Supply Management: A crucial function where a central authority like the KSD tracks the total volume of a security token issued across different platforms to ensure it matches the official records and prevents unauthorized creation.