South Korea

꿈의 에너지 '인공태양' 연구시설 나주 최종 확정…'글로벌 핵융합 에너지 선도도시' 도약

ET News | Local Language | News | Dec. 12, 2025 | UndeterminedEnergy Prices

Naju City in Jeollanam-do has been officially selected as the site for South Korea's national artificial sun research facility, a core project aimed at advancing nuclear fusion technology. The facility, regarded as a breakthrough energy source that is infinite, clean, and safe, aligns with the country’s goal to become an energy self-reliant nation. The final decision followed the dismissal of an objection from Jeonbuk Province and confirmed Naju’s status after a national competition led by the Ministry of Science and ICT.

Naju was rated "very excellent" by the National Research Foundation of Korea for its optimal conditions, including safety from natural disasters, stable granite-based geography without earthquakes, and strong research infrastructure linked to Korea University of Energy and Technology (KENTECH) and Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST). The city's strategic location also offers convenient transportation access via KTX Naju Station and Muan International Airport.

Key to Naju’s successful bid was broad community support, including 120,000 local signatures, active promotion committees, and backing from regional lawmakers. Since early administrative efforts, Naju secured a 49.5 billion won project related to superconducting conductor testing for fusion reactors, reinforcing its leadership in fusion research infrastructure. Collaborative efforts involved government, industry, academia, and research institutions to elevate the artificial sun research facility as a national priority.

The facility, with a planned investment around 1.2 trillion won, is slated for construction starting in 2027 and completion by 2036 near the Naju Energy National Industrial Complex. It is expected to spur significant economic and industrial growth, attracting about 300 companies, creating 2,000 specialized research jobs, over 10,000 total jobs, and generating economic benefits exceeding 10 trillion won. Naju plans to expedite follow-up actions, including feasibility studies and formal agreements with government entities, to support the project’s development and elevate the city as a global leader in fusion energy.

Joongang Ilbo | English | News | Dec. 12, 2025 | UndeterminedReal Estate

Korea's heritage authorities and the Seoul Metropolitan Government have held initial talks to address disagreements over a proposed high-rise redevelopment project near Jongmyo Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage site in central Seoul. Officials from the Korea Heritage Service (KHS), the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Seoul city government met to discuss practical matters ahead of further coordination between central and local authorities. No consensus was reached on whether a heritage impact assessment is needed for the project.

The redevelopment plan involves Sewoon District 4, located directly across from Jongmyo Shrine, where the city has decided to double the building height limit to 145 meters. Heritage officials argue this could harm the shrine’s historic landscape, while the city contends the project would rejuvenate the area by adding new open green spaces. UNESCO has requested a heritage impact assessment, but Seoul has not yet responded. Additional preliminary talks and a full coordination meeting involving senior officials are planned to resolve the dispute.

제동 걸린 가상자산 2단계 입법…업계가 바라보는 쟁점은

ZD Net Korea | Local Language | News | Dec. 12, 2025 | Regulation

Phase 2 legislation intended to establish a comprehensive institutional framework for the virtual asset market in Korea has been delayed due to the government's failure to submit key bills by the scheduled deadline. The Financial Services Commission (FSC) had planned to present drafts of a basic digital asset law and Korean-won stablecoin regulations to the National Assembly by December 10, but missed this cutoff, disrupting the anticipated legislative review for the year. These bills are critical as they address issuance, distribution, authorization, and disclosure standards, areas not covered in the initial phase, leading to significant industry disappointment.

The delay is attributed mainly to ongoing disagreements between the FSC and the Bank of Korea regarding the issuance structure for Korean-won stablecoins. The Bank of Korea advocates for a consortium model dominated by commercial banks, citing concerns about financial stability and the payments system, suggesting a bank-centered issuer design to mitigate risks to monetary policy and reserve assets. Conversely, the FSC opposes restrictive shareholding rules, fearing they would limit participation from non-bank entities like fintech and payment firms, thereby reducing industrial diversity. The FSC favors global trends that maintain open issuer participation while controlling risks through capital and liquidity requirements.

These institutional conflicts extend to supervisory authority allocation. The FSC insists on centralized authorization and supervision of stablecoins under its control, aligning with financial regulatory principles. Meanwhile, the Bank of Korea seeks effective involvement from the authorization phase based on payments and settlement stability concerns. Proposals to grant the Bank rights such as participation in inspections or emergency measures were opposed by the FSC, which argues that such involvement would complicate supervision and burden market players.

The regulatory uncertainty is creating anxiety within the virtual asset sector, as stablecoin institutionalization is seen as key to expanding practical applications like payments, remittances, and on-chain financial services. Legal ambiguity around issuance qualifications and supervision is hindering project development, with some banks and fintech companies considering consortium models but unable to proceed fully due to the lack of clear standards. Prolonged delays may push the market toward adopting foreign regulatory frameworks or foreign-currency-backed stablecoins.

The resolution of this dispute is viewed as pivotal for the future direction of Korea’s digital asset industry. The finalized approach to stablecoin issuance and supervision will determine whether the market becomes bank-centric or remains open to diverse private-sector participants. Industry stakeholders warn that overly narrow issuer scopes risk entrenching banks as dominant players, while overly broad regulation raises concerns about reserve asset management and de-pegging risks. The distribution of supervisory authority and safeguards will shape both the sector’s growth speed and its credibility.