The South Korean Ministry of Economy and Finance announced a transition from the 1950 State Property Act to a new National Asset Basic Act to better reflect modern digital resources. The government plans to launch a pilot program for tokenized government bonds in 2027 and explore the tokenization of state-owned real estate to broaden investment access. Furthermore, upcoming amendments to the Capital Markets Act and the Electronic Securities Act will grant blockchain-based ledgers legal status as official securities registries starting February 4, 2027.
The Ministry of Economy and Finance revealed plans during a July 15, 2026, policy briefing to replace the outdated State Property Act with the National Asset Basic Act. While the original 1950 statute focused primarily on physical real estate, the new legislation creates specialized standards to manage emerging asset classes, including virtual assets and intellectual property. By incorporating these assets into the official state management system, the government intends to shift from simple administrative oversight to a strategy focused on value creation.
South Korea will initiate a pilot program for tokenized government bonds in 2027, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance’s economic policy roadmap. This initiative seeks to utilize blockchain technology to decrease transaction costs, accelerate settlement speeds, and enhance the efficiency of collateral management. The government anticipates that moving sovereign debt onto a unified digital ledger will significantly streamline public financial operations.
In addition to financial instruments, the government is exploring the tokenization of state-owned real estate using security tokens. This approach is designed to allow retail investors to participate in and share returns from public real estate projects. Officials aim to leverage this model to increase public involvement in state-led investments while maintaining structured oversight.
The 2027 bond pilot will be linked to the Bank of Korea’s wholesale central bank digital currency (CBDC) infrastructure. Authorities are also tasked with evaluating the interoperability between the central bank’s blockchain network and other distributed ledger platforms. This infrastructure plan follows earlier testing, including a trial for tokenized deposits for government spending scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026.
Comprehensive updates to the Capital Markets Act and the Electronic Securities Act are set to take effect on February 4, 2027. These amendments will provide formal legal recognition to blockchain-based ledgers as valid securities registries. According to the Financial Services Commission, this transition will move tokenized assets out of their experimental phase and fully under the jurisdiction of the existing regulatory framework.
