ASEAN is the largest market for Korean financial companies and a region where exchanges and cooperation with Korea are very active in the financial sector as well as trade and investments. In addition, the Korean government plans to establish the Korea-ASEAN Financial Cooperation Center (KAFCC) in Jakarta, Indonesia, as a part of the Korean government's New Southern Policy. The KAFCC's primary roles and responsibilities will lie in supporting Korean companies entering or conducting business in the ASEAN region. This Center is also expected to serve as a platform to consult ASEAN's demand for financial cooperation on a continuous basis. This study investigated and analyzed the promotion for key projects and operation strategy of the Korea-ASEAN Financial Cooperation Center, in advance to its launch, to achieve early stabilization and performance of the Center. The study can be understood as an expansion and follow-up report to the previously conducted study, “A Study on the Development of Korea-ASEAN Financial Cooperation Projects and Establishment of Financial Cooperation Center” (2019, Youngsik Jeong et al.), which is relatively more general in its content. The current study focuses on financial infrastructure and institutional cooperation for indirect financing (deposit and loan markets) in six ASEAN member states (Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos) where Korean financial companies have advanced into more actively. These countries also maintain strong economic relationships with Korea or potential financial cooperation demand.
This study is primarily composed of three sections. Chapter 2 identifies stage-by-stage cooperation projects to be conducted by the Korea-ASEAN Financial Cooperation Center. Chapter 3 sets out more detailed action plans on core cooperation projects targeting Indonesia, where the Center will be located. Key cooperation projects in other ASEAN countries are also further expanded on, from among the promising cooperation projects presented in Chapter 2. Chapter 4 examines detailed operational plans for the KAFCC's early settlement, including the Center's strategy, and cooperation and connectivity with domestic and overseas related organizations.
Chapter 2 suggests projects to be implemented by the Korea-ASEAN Financial Cooperation Center. To this end, we explore the development level of the financial sectors in ASEAN countries. We then examine the countries' demand for cooperation and Korea's interest in financial cooperation projects. Demand in ASEAN was identified through written interviews with local policy authorities, local financial public corporations, Korean financial authorities, and financial firms in the six major ASEAN countries. Face-to-face or virtual interviews were conducted with the Korea Financial Telecommunications and Clearings Institute, Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation, Korea Credit Guarantee Fund, Korea Technology Finance Corporation, NICE Credit Information Service, Korea Asset Management Corporation, and Korea Credit Information Services. Financial cooperation demand in ASEAN after COVID-19 shows two features. First, the need for digital finance cooperation (open banking, mobile banking, fintech industry, data security, internet banking, P2P loans, crowd-funding, public financial management system, national tax integrated systems, etc.) is prominent in common in the six major ASEAN countries. Second, the need for cooperation in support of vulnerable population groups (financial inclusion) and crisis management (SMEs and small business owners credit guarantee, credit data construction for credit evaluation, preemptive risk management for NPLs, follow-up management, credit rating systems, early warning models in the financial sector) has become more substantial in all surveyed countries. Based on these results, we identified financial cooperation projects for each stage, dividing them into the two phases of ① priority partner country selection, and ② priority cooperation project selection by country. Partner countries were classified into Group 1 (Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam) with a relatively high level of financial development, and Group 2 (Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos). Then, we suggest priority countries for each group, where Korean public and private financial institutions have actively advanced into or show a high level of interest. Indonesia and Vietnam in Group 1 were selected as top-priority countries for cooperation, and Cambodia and Myanmar were included in Group 2. The next step was to select priority cooperation projects for each partner country. Projects in which both ASEAN countries and Korean financial institutions share interest in were chosen as the top priority. Next, projects where only one of the two parties have shown interest in were selected as the second priority. By applying these standards, we drew priority cooperation projects in Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Myanmar. Top priority cooperation projects with Indonesia were upgrading payment and settlement systems, fintech service infrastructure, improving deposit insurance payment systems, MSMEs financial support, and credit data establishment and utilization systems. In Vietnam, improving credit information systems, financial sector restructuring, digital finance such as open banking were selected as top priority cooperation projects where both countries share common interests. Top priority cooperation projects with Cambodia were advancing payment and settlement systems, introducing deposit insurance systems, resolving insolvent financial institutions, and improving credit guarantee institutions for SMEs. In Myanmar, developing payment and settlement systems, establishing deposit insurance systems, providing finan-cial support for MSMEs were top priority projects. Next, we propose priority cooperation projects with Thailand and Laos. Advancing credit rating models and developing fintech service infrastructure could be candidate cooperation projects with Thailand. In Laos, improving the deposit insurance systems, developing credit information and evaluation systems, modernizing payment and settlement systems, and establishing national tax integrated systems were identified as top priority cooperation projects in which both countries share common interest.
Chapter 3 discusses implementation measures for major cooperative projects of priority at the Korea-ASEAN Financial Cooperation Center. Section 1 looks into payment service trends in the 6 ASEAN countries. The review covers conventional payment systems, such as wholesale and retail payment services run by central banks or payment operators, and also new payment services using emerging technologies such as e-money, QR-code payment, and blockchain. Future directions in government policy for payment services are also envisioned in this section by reviewing payment service roadmaps released by central banks. Then, we also review the increasing use of contactless payment services caused by COVID-19. Based on our assessment of present payment services, we offer considerations for the implementation measures of these projects. Section 2 introduces a business model for open banking in Indonesia and real-time fund transfer in Laos and Myanmar, major mid- to long-term cooperative projects. This model is designed based on international standards, actual examples of use in Korea and other countries, and the government policy and market situations of target countries. This model is comprised of system configurations, service processes, etc., and we also consider possible services that can be built by expanding the model. Section 3 takes a closer look at how the implementation measures work. To begin with, we draw lessons from an analysis of the Retail Pay project conducted in Cambodia from 2017 to 2019 by the KFTC consortium. Then, we suggest a plan to utilize grants and loans for mid- to long-term major cooperative projects, open banking in Indonesia and real-time fund transfer in Laos and Myanmar. For open banking in Indonesia, we also propose a plan to establish a joint venture. The implementation measures are divided into three parts: research, planning, and implementation, and the measures have been prepared to ensure the success of the projects through cooperation between contractors and the Korea-ASEAN Financial Cooperation Center. Initial projections for manpower needs and costs, based on the experiences of the Retail Pay project, are also included. Section 3 ends with implementation measures for short-term consulting services related to building payment infrastructure (e.g. open banking and integrated billing) in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, which can commence immediately once the Cooperation Center is established. To highlight the significance of the projects, section 4 describes the ramifications of open banking and real-time fund transfer from the viewpoint of Korea and target countries. The benefits for target countries lie in the value delivered to the government, financial institutions, fintech companies, and consumers, while the benefits for Korea include the development of cooperative relations with ASEAN countries and promotion of Korean financial institutions and ICT companies entering or conducting business in the ASEAN region.
In Chapter 4 the operation scheme for the Korea-ASEAN Financial Cooperation Center (KAFCC) is reviewed in detail. The rapid overseas expansion of Korean financial firms into ASEAN countries and increasing bilateral trade and investments over the last decade have spurred the need for a new regional financial cooperation platform. In response, the Korean government and ASEAN countries agreed to establish the Korea-ASEAN Financial Cooperation Center in Indonesia. As a regional financial cooperation platform, the KAFCC is to be established with the following three goals: ① development of ASEAN financial infrastructure, ② pursuit of bilateral economic cooperation by encouraging bilateral trade and investments, and ③ expansion of Korean support for ASEAN infrastructure projects. By formulating and implementing projects to achieve the above three goals, the KAFCC aims to build a community of mutual prosperity. First, the KAFCC will establish a system to support ASEAN economic and financial development through financial cooperation. The financial cooperation with ASEAN countries will be conducted in various quarters including overseas expansion of Korean financial firms, knowledge exchange programs, and financial ODA projects. Through these projects Korea will not only share its knowledge and experience, but also present financial standards to further the development of ASEAN finance. Although the number and diversity of financial cooperation programs with ASEAN have been increasing in recent years, these financial cooperation programs still remain smaller in size than with other areas. The expansion of joint policy research programs such as financial KSP programs has also remained relatively slow. Other issues, such as the need for a more consolidated strategy, the lack of regional access, the lack of speed in project implementation, and insufficient funding for ASEAN subsidiaries of domestic firms, need to be addressed as well. The KAFCC will help remedy these issues and function as a control center to efficiently manage financial cooperation projects with ASEAN. Second, the trade and overseas expansion of Korean firms into ASEAN have been increasing rapidly since the Korea-ASEAN FTA took effect in 2007. The ASEAN countries’ potential as both a production and consumption hub is stimulating the expansion of Korean firms into the region, and yet, Korean subsidiaries point out that lack of funding is one of the major difficulties in their business operation. The KAFCC will increase financial accessibility for Korean firms in the region to promote bilateral trade and Korean investment in ASEAN countries. Third, although ASEAN countries possess high growth potential with a fast-growing population, many countries are still suffering from a lack of basic social infrastructure. To overcome this, they are pursuing large-scale infrastructure investment projects such as the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) and ASEAN Smart City Network (ASCN). Although Korean construction firms are also actively taking part in these infrastructure investment projects, enhancing their funding capability is the key to further upgrading social infrastructure in ASEAN. The KAFCC will play its role to augment Korean construction firms’ funding capabilities and spur their investment into the regional infrastructure projects.
The financial cooperation team of the Korea-ASEAN Financial Cooperation Center will conduct tasks including monitoring of economic and financial developments in ASEAN, managing the financial cooperation projects with ASEAN in a consolidated fashion, building networks with ASEAN partners, providing financial education programs, and organizing roundtables with Korean financial subsidiaries. In addition, the corporate finance support team of the KAFCC will strengthen the financial access of Korean subsidiaries in ASEAN. Its tasks include strengthening of on-site survey and inspection to expand the provision of financial guarantees and on-lending facilities for firms, information-sharing on regional financial markets and regulations, and roundtables with finance managers of Korean subsidiaries in ASEAN countries. The tasks of the KAFCC infrastructure investment support team will include establishing long-term relationships with local infrastructure project clients, operating policy advisory programs for regional infrastructure investment projects, strengthening cooperation with ‘Team Korea’, the public-private joint support platforms, organized to encourage infrastructure investments into ASEAN countries, supporting export bond insurance program necessary for overseas construction contracts, and providing financial advice to Korean construction companies in the region.The Korea-ASEAN Financial Cooperation Center will proceed with tasks in the above three sectors in three stages: research, planning, and execution. For each project, the KAFCC will first determine whether to take on the project itself, or to play a supporting role and provide local access to one or more Korean public financial firms. The KAFCC will seek to maximize the synergy among the three areas of tasks and execute projects in a concerted fashion. The director of the KAFCC will not only mediate the internal businesses of the Center, but also intermediate projects conducted by headquarters of Korean public financial firms. The director’s term should be long enough to enable a solid network with ASEAN partners, and the director should possess the right to expedite ODA approvals necessary to proceed with key cooperation projects. Given that in-dividuals from many institutions will work together in the Center, the director should also be able to encourage cooperation between members of the Center. Many institutions are already participating in financial cooperation programs with ASEAN countries including Korean embassies, the Council on International Financial Cooperation (CIFC), Financial Hub Korea, and various public financial firms. Considering that the influence of KAFCC should encompass all ASEAN countries in spite of its location in Indonesia, it will closely interact and cooperate with Korean embassies and other existing financial platforms in conducting financial cooperation businesses.
Keyword : ASEAN, Financial Cooperation, Payment System, Financial Cooperation Center