Samsung Securities’ plan to enter the short-term funding business through issuer commercial paper was thrown into uncertainty again after the proposal was not placed on the Financial Services Commission’s regular meeting agenda on April 15. Market expectations had been that the firm could become the country’s eighth licensed issuer once it cleared the meeting. The omission was seen as unusual given past licensing timelines and has revived debate over fairness and the review process.

The European Union has begun legislation on the Digital Networks Act, drawing attention in South Korea for possible links to domestic telecom issues such as spectrum allocation and network usage fees. Cho Dae-geun (조대근) of Sogang University said the proposal would scrap the EECC and unify regulation, redefining spectrum as a strategic public asset and extending licence terms to at least 40 years. He also described an approach to network fee disputes that involves regulators but ultimately leaves outcomes to the market.