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South Korea’s Democratic Party Lawmaker Urges Authorities Allow to ICOs

A member of South Korea’s National Assembly has called on the state to “open up the road” to ICO by easing regulations, South Korean financial outlet Economy reports October 2. According to the article, Min Byung-doo, a Democratic Party lawmaker, will introduce a project of for ICO legislation at the next round of the National Assembly.

He claimed that the purpose of the new legislation is to allow ICOs while enforcing strict regulation for the negative parts of the industry, noting:

“We are looking at ways to open up the road to ICOs while strictly prohibiting negative factors such as fraud, speculation and money laundering.”

Min Byung-doo has reportedly also suggested to local authorities such as the Financial Services Commission (FSC) that the government should legalize ICO operations in the country, claiming that “prohibition is not the only way.” According to Economy, after consulting with the government and the FSC, the authorities’ stance has “changed prospectively compared with the past.”

Calling on the government to ease regulations for the industry, Min Byung-doo noted that the ban on ICO causes “weakening competitiveness” in South Korea’s blockchain industry, comparing it with the levels in the progress by the U.S., adding:

“South Korea’s blockchain-related industries were at the top of the world in terms of competitiveness, but the competitiveness in ICOs has dropped sharply. Now, 75% of projects in the industry belong to the United States only, which is the world’s top competitor.”

The lawmaker warned that an uncertain future of regulation for the industry will “prevent the growth of the industry itself.”