Recently the usage of the credit derivatives has been increasing drastically in the international finance market as the credit derivatives are getting more attention as a means to proactively manage credit risks inherent in financial transactions. Ev...
Recently the usage of the credit derivatives has been increasing drastically in the international finance market as the credit derivatives are getting more attention as a means to proactively manage credit risks inherent in financial transactions. Even in the 90’s, such usage was insignificant; however, starting from the late 1990’s, the credit derivatives were beginning to be recognized as not only a method of efficient credit risk management, but also a new source of investment profits, thereby resulting in a drastic increase in the size of the market. On the other hand, the size of the domestic credit derivatives market compared to that of the international market is relatively insignificant and the types of the credit derivatives being traded in the domestic market are somewhat limited. However, the rapid growth in Korea is also expected as the domestic financial institutions now recognize the importance of the credit derivatives method for credit risk management and have increased their interest.
The purpose of this paper is to help the financial institutions and individuals engaged in the credit derivatives transactions to better understand the credit derivatives transactions by analyzing the essence of the credit derivatives and legal issues relating thereto. That said, this paper focuses on the discussion of legal issues frequently encountered in credit derivatives transactions in the international financial market. A summary of each chapter is as set forth below.
The first chapter explains the objectives behind topic selection, the scope of research and composition thereof.
The second chapter examines the concept of the credit derivatives, the size of credit derivatives transactions in domestic/foreign markets, different types, comparison with general derivatives transactions, and credit derivatives transactions overseas. Among them, issues relating to different types of the credit derivatives get the most attention in the market. Other than Credit Default Swap (CDS), Total Return Swap (TRS), Credit Spread Option, Credit Linked Note (CLN), and Synthetic CDO, which are widely accepted as typical credit derivates in the derivates transaction market, if the economical effectiveness is similar to that of the existing credit derivatives, the applicable regulations will differ depending on whether or not the new credit derivatives product will be classified as a credit derivatives transaction. Therefore, this is a very crucial problem. So far, the supervisory authorities have recently acknowledged Credit-Linked Deposit, Basket Default Swap and Portfolio Default Swap as credit derivatives, but have not recognized Risk Participation, Loan Participation and Credit Charge as credit derivatives.
The third chapter looks at how the legal characteristics of the credit derivatives is different from guarantees, buying and selling, exchange, assumption of liabilities, and transfer of obligations, which are general legitimate acts. The most important issue is whether or not the credit derivatives will be viewed as equivalent to guarantees. This is because the Securities and Exchange Act and the Insurance Business Act prohibit guarantee companies and insurance companies from issuing guarantees, and the scope of business operation changes depending on whether the credit derivatives is viewed as a guarantee. CLN among credit derivatives, in view of the fact that such stock transaction can be transferred freely, can be differentiated from guarantee obligations, which are not transferable separate from the primary obligation. As to guarantees, there exists the appendant nature in that the primary obligation, which is secured by the guarantee obligation, has to exist. However, credit derivatives are considered different from guarantees as the credit risk itself is considered as the subject of a separate transaction, that is, the buyer is not obliged to possess the underlying assets.
For the promptness of the transaction, the Master Agreement prepared by the ‘International Swap Derivatives Association (ISDA)’ is used internationally as the credit derivatives is composed of a complicated transaction structure and in Chapter Four the legal issues relating to the ISDA Master Agreement under the Civil Code and the Commercial Code of Korea are discussed. Especially the following issues have been analyzed: (i) point of time when the contract for transaction through the ISDA Master Agreement is executed; (ii) interpretation when there is a conflict between documents related to the ISDA Master Agreement; (iii) differences under Korean law in relation to Netting or Set-off, default, etc.; and (iv) possible conflict with Korea law in regard to the security or collateral provision method and appropriateness of the collateral.
Chapter Five looks at whether the netting provision of the ISDA Master Agreement used in the international credit derivatives is allowed by the domestic bankruptcy law in terms of its contents. The related information on the cancellation of unfulfilled bilateral agreement, prohibition of set-off and the veto power, all of which have been the object of criticism, was summarized and the fact that above problems have been solved legitimately by Article 120 (3) of the Debtor Rehabilitation and Bankruptcy Law is briefly reviewed. With the aforementioned, international transaction using the ISDA Master Agreement is expected to become more active.
Chapter Six deals with Korean law issues frequently encountered by a financial institution engaging in credit derivatives transactions. Especially, the grounds for and regulations related to derivatives transactions under the Bank Act, the Securities and Exchange Act, the Insurance Business Act, the Indirect Investment Asset Management Business Act, and the Foreign Exchange Transaction Act are discussed. Since the Bank Act, the Securities and Exchange Act, and the Foreign Exchange Transaction Act have different standards in approaching the credit derivatives of banks and securities companies, this chapter discusses the confusion encountered by the officer in charge as the same derivative transaction is accepted as a business by some financial institutions, while not accepted by others. In addition, the relationship between the credit derivatives and the BIS capital adequacy ratio, together with the customer protection content in regard to the credit derivatives, which have been enforced recently, under the Bank Act are studied. In the Securities and Exchange Act, the poison of the supervisory authorities on the securitized derivatives and the guarantee of the credit derivatives are studied and lastly, in the Insurance Business Act, the insurance contracts and guarantee of the credit derivatives are studied.
Chapter Seven deals with issues under other laws and regulations related to the credit derivatives. This chapter briefly touches upon the betting charge under the Criminal Law, violation of public order and standard of decency, existence of illegal legal rights of non-profit corporations under the Civil Code, fiduciary duty of director under the Commercial Code, and taxation under the Tax Law of the credit derivatives.
Chapter Eight looks at the legal issues in relation to the credit derivatives discussed from Chapter Two through Chapter Seven and examines the methods to legitimately solve the problems or issues needing systematic improvement. First, systematic improvement of the definition or concept of the derivatives transaction including the credit derivatives is proposed. The needs to improve the inconsistent range or concept of underlying assets, while regulating the credit derivatives in the present finance-related legislations, and the need to handle the securitized derivatives, which create confusions among banks, securities companies, and foreign exchange authorities, as suggested in the Consolidated Capital Markets Act (draft), are proposed.
Secondly, the fairness of the credit derivatives’ regulations is discussed. Currently, different financial institutions treat differently the credit derivatives considered as the same type under the Bank Act, the Securities and Exchange Act, and Foreign Exchange Transaction Act. To improve such a situation, a method to regulate the credit derivates by the counterparty or the underlying assets is proposed.
Thirdly, methods to promote the credit derivatives are examined. For banks, in preparation for the new Basel accord scheduled to be implemented in early 2008, it is suggested that in calculating the BIS capital adequacy ratio, they actively implement the method applying the risk weight in priority utilizing the credit derivatives. As to securities companies, insurance companies, and indirect investment vehicles, the expansion of the credit derivatives transaction was proposed. On the other hand, continuing acceptance, instead of accepting once, of the supervisory authorities’ plan to utilize the synthetic CDO structure, so that the credit derivatives can be utilized actively after the asset securitization, is proposed.
Fourthly, the study of plan to intensify customer protection with respect to the credit derivatives examined. First of all, strengthening the transparency of the regulations to solve the problems caused by the vague regulations relating to credit derivatives transactions was proposed. It was proposed to clarify the position of the supervisory authorities with respect to the brokerage and cross border transactions, which foreign financial institutions directly engage in. In addition, it was proposed to strengthen the obligation to notify any inherent risks in credit derivatives transactions and qualification test, as well as enhancing the disclosure requirements. The necessity to prevent the overuse of special regulations of the Debtor Rehabilitation and Bankruptcy Law to protect the contracting parties and third parties was proposed as well.
Chapter Nine is the conclusion of this paper. This chapter summarizes each chapter’s focus and presents the limits of this research, as well as the future direction for the research.