Busan to Convene Three Major ASEAN+3 Bond Market Forums
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Busan to Convene Three Major ASEAN+3 Bond Market Forums
□ Three major ASEAN+3 (Korea, China, Japan) bond market forums are slated for November 2 to 6, 2026, in the area around the Busan International Finance Center.
○ The event will comprise the Digital Bond Market Forum, the ASEAN+3* Bond Market Forum, and the Cross-Border Settlement Infrastructure Forum—the three key working-level bodies under the Asian Bond Markets Initiative**. The outcomes will be reported to the ASEAN+3 Finance Ministers’ and Central Bank Governors' Meeting.
* ASEAN+3 (Association of Southeast Asian Nations+3): Korea, China, Japan
** ABMI (Asian Bond Markets Initiative): Launched in 2003 upon Korea’s 2002 proposal to foster Asian bond markets
○ In particular, the Digital Bond Market Forum, initiated in 2025 under Korea's leadership, focuses on applying emerging digital solutions, such as distributed ledger technology and tokenization, to bond markets. The forums in Busan are expected to help deepen practical cooperation.
□ Approximately 150 officials from government finance agencies, central banks, and financial supervisory authorities across ASEAN+3 member economies, along with relevant experts, will attend.
○ Hosted by the Asian Development Bank and organized by the Busan Finance Center and BNK Financial Group, with support from Busan and the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the forums will feature policy sessions and discussions on digital bonds, cross-border settlement systems, and ESG finance.
○ Speakers will address strategies for expanding green and blue bonds, approaches to connecting digital assets through distributed ledger technology, and the future direction and implementation of Asia's bond markets.
□ Busan’s robust foundation as an international financial powerhouse and its competitive edge in maritime and digital finance make it a fitting venue for the forums.
○ Home to the country’s first and only Blockchain Regulation-Free Special Zone, Busan has established a digital finance innovation environment encompassing bond digitalization and tokenization. Building on its robust maritime, shipbuilding, and port industries, it is also well positioned to spearhead efforts to promote ESG finance for the maritime sector.
○ Following its selection as the host of the World Alliance of International Financial Centers Annual General Meeting this September, Busan secured three major ASEAN+3 bond market forums.
○ The final regular sessions before Korea assumes the ASEAN+3 chairmanship in 2027 will take place in Busan, with the proceedings informing the ASEAN+3 agenda for next year.
□ Busan also plans to leverage the forums as an opportunity to broaden partnership networks with prominent Asian players and integrate digital finance and ESG finance with the maritime domain, thereby enhancing its global financial profile.
○ By giving overseas institutions and policymakers firsthand exposure to Busan's financial and maritime infrastructure and digital finance ecosystem, the forums are anticipated to contribute to attracting additional conferences, engaging stakeholders, and advancing collaborative projects.
□ Mayor Chun Jae-soo remarked, "I believe these forums will mark a defining moment in Korea’s commitment to driving the digital transformation of bond markets while reinforcing Busan's status as Northeast Asia's premier maritime financial capital."
