FSC Announces New Legislation on Financial Benchmarks in South Korea
FSC announced the passing of the Financial Benchmark Act, which is a new bill to regulate financial benchmarks, in the National Assembly. The new legislation is intended to ensure the validity and credibility of financial benchmarks in response to global regulatory moves in which major countries, including EU, are introducing regulations on financial benchmarks. FSC expects that the Financial Benchmark Act will strengthen the management and supervision on financial benchmarks, which will help secure financial stability. The new legislation will take effect in November 2020. Meanwhile, the government will continue to work with EU for an approval that the new legislation is deemed equivalent to the Benchmarks Regulation in EU.
The following are the key features of the new legislation:
- Designation of critical benchmarks—FSC may designate benchmarks that would have a significant impact on financial market stability, consumer protection, and the real economy as “critical” benchmarks.
- Administrator of critical benchmarks—FSC may designate entities which determine, publish, and provide critical benchmark as administrators.
- Obligations of administrator—Administrators are required to establish a committee to deliberate on important matters in regard with establishing and revising operational rules, collecting input data, and calculating and determining critical benchmarks. Administrators are also required to disclose details about operational rules and management of conflict of interest on their websites. Administrators should review the validity of their operational rules at least every two years and disclose the results.
- Cessation of provision of critical benchmarks—Any administrator that intends to cease the provision of critical benchmarks for unexpected reasons shall post a public announcement on the reasons and the date of cessation for more than 20 days and report to the FSC six months before the date of cessation. FSC may order the transfer of such operations to other administrators or the continuation of such operations for a certain period of time not exceeding 24 months, if the cessation would have a significant impact on financial markets.
- Obligations of users—Users of critical benchmarks shall provide a counterparty to a financial contract with written explanations on critical benchmarks.
- Prohibition of distortion and manipulation—Contributors of input data and administrators are prohibited from engaging in distortion or manipulation of input data and benchmarks, in addition to other unlawful activities.
- Inspection and punitive measures—FSC is to oversee compliance with the Financial Benchmark Act by administrators and may impose punitive measures against violations of laws such as administrative orders, punitive fines, and penalties.
Related Link: Press Release (PDF)
Keywords: Asia Pacific, Korea, Banking, Securities, Financial Benchmarks, Benchmarks Regulation, EU, Critical Benchmarks, Equivalence Regime, Interest Rate Benchmark, FSC
Previous Article
CBIRC Revises Guidance on Capital Instrument Innovation of BanksRelated Articles
BIS and Central Banks Experiment with GenAI to Assess Climate Risks
A recent report from the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Innovation Hub details Project Gaia, a collaboration between the BIS Innovation Hub Eurosystem Center and certain central banks in Europe
Nearly 25% G-SIBs Commit to Adopting TNFD Nature-Related Disclosures
Nature-related risks are increasing in severity and frequency, affecting businesses, capital providers, financial systems, and economies.
Singapore to Mandate Climate Disclosures from FY2025
Singapore recently took a significant step toward turning climate ambition into action, with the introduction of mandatory climate-related disclosures for listed and large non-listed companies
SEC Finalizes Climate-Related Disclosures Rule
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has finalized the long-awaited rule that mandates climate-related disclosures for domestic and foreign publicly listed companies in the U.S.
EBA Proposes Standards Related to Standardized Credit Risk Approach
The European Banking Authority (EBA) has been taking significant steps toward implementing the Basel III framework and strengthening the regulatory framework for credit institutions in the EU
US Regulators Release Stress Test Scenarios for Banks
The U.S. regulators recently released baseline and severely adverse scenarios, along with other details, for stress testing the banks in 2024. The relevant U.S. banking regulators are the Federal Reserve Bank (FED), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC).
Asian Governments Aim for Interoperability in AI Governance Frameworks
The regulatory landscape for artificial intelligence (AI), including the generative kind, is evolving rapidly, with governments and regulators aiming to address the challenges and opportunities presented by this transformative technology.
EBA Proposes Operational Risk Standards Under Final Basel III Package
The European Union (EU) has been working on the final elements of Basel III standards, with endorsement of the Banking Package and the publication of the European Banking Authority (EBA) roadmap on Basel III implementation in December 2023.
EFRAG Proposes XBRL Taxonomy and Standard for Listed SMEs Under ESRS
The European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG), which plays a crucial role in shaping corporate reporting standards in European Union (EU), is seeking comments, until May 21, 2024, on the Exposure Draft ESRS for listed SMEs.
ECB to Expand Climate Change Work in 2024-2025
Banking regulators worldwide are increasingly focusing on addressing, monitoring, and supervising the institutions' exposure to climate and environmental risks.