Korea Securities Finance Corporation Holds 70th Anniversary International Conference: "Strengthening Support for the Securities Industry"

"Korea Securities Finance Corporation will expand its domestic and international business infrastructure and strengthen support for the securities industry in line with the government's efforts to increase the supply of venture capital," said Kim Jeong-Kag, President of Korea Securities Finance Corporation, at the 70th Anniversary International Conference held at the Fairmont Ambassador Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul, on September 30.

He added, "In the era of digital finance, we will review measures to protect investors' assets to ensure that the credibility of the capital market is not undermined. Through this international conference, I look forward to discussing the development and current issues of capital markets in Korea and other countries, as well as exchanging diverse opinions on investor protection measures and systems."

In a congratulatory address, Lee Eog-weon, Vice Chairman of the Financial Services Commission, urged Korea Securities Finance Corporation to enhance its stability functions in line with market conditions, participate in productive finance, strengthen internal control systems, and pursue digital innovation. He emphasized, "When the corporation fulfills this upgraded role, our capital market will also achieve richer and more stable results."

Lee Chanjin, Governor of the Financial Supervisory Service, also expressed his expectation that Korea Securities Finance Corporation would lead the co-growth of the capital market, stating, "We will fulfill our core responsibilities to create a fair and transparent market environment and protect investors."

The conference consisted of two sessions and a special lecture. After expert panel discussions on the themes of "The Role and Challenges of Investor Protection and Financial Safety Nets" and "Growth Cases and Implications of Emerging Capital Markets," a special lecture was held.

The first session was chaired by Koo Jeonghan, a researcher at the Korea Institute of Finance, and brought together domestic and international scholars to share the current status of global investor protection systems and discuss ways to strengthen these systems in response to changing environments.

Ina Budh-Raja, Global Head of Securities Finance at BNY Mellon in London, introduced the UK's investor protection system and shared its future direction. Sugiura Nobuhiko, Professor at Chuo University Graduate School of Business, presented on Japan's investor protection system and future challenges. Hemant Sharma, Deputy General Counsel at the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) in the United States, gave a presentation on investor protection work and related topics.

In the second session, Park Sunyoung, Professor of Economics at Dongguk University, chaired a discussion with officials from international financial institutions, sharing development cases of emerging capital markets and discussing the role of securities finance companies.

Sergio Schmukler, Lead Economist at the World Bank, delivered a keynote speech on "Corporate Growth and the Role of Capital Markets in Low- and Middle-Income Countries."

Melis E. Tabojer, Managing Director at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and Susan Olsen, Division Director at the Asian Development Bank (ADB), introduced the roles and success stories of their respective institutions in supporting the growth of capital markets in developing countries. Emelly Mutambatsere, Manager at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), explained green and bond investments as strategies to promote growth in emerging capital markets.