Busan City (Mayor Jeon Jae-soo) announced that the "ASEAN+3 Bond Market International Forum" will be held for five days starting today (the 2nd) at the BNK Busan Bank Convention Hall (Busan International Finance Center Phase 3, BIFC II).

Hosted by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and organized by the BNK Financial Group and the Busan International Finance Center Promotion Center, the event is sponsored by Busan City, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and the Busan Tourism Organization.

Under the theme of "Building a Sustainable Blue City," approximately 150 representatives from domestic and international financial authorities, central banks, international organizations, and financial institutions will gather to discuss major issues and cooperation measures in the Asian financial market.

The event runs in conjunction with the 4th Digital Bond Market Forum (DBMF), the 36th Cross-Border Settlement Infrastructure Forum (CSIF), and the 47th ASEAN+3 Bond Market Forum (ABMF)*. A Busan Special Session and an ASEAN+3 Capacity Building Seminar hosted by the Ministry of Economy and Finance will also be held concurrently.

* ASEAN+3 Bond Market Forum: A cooperative body established in 2010 for the development of regional bond markets in ASEAN, South Korea, China, and Japan.

Participated in by financial authorities, central banks, securities regulators, stock exchanges, central depositories, and financial companies of each country, it discusses standardization and harmonization measures for systems, market practices, and financial infrastructure related to cross-border bond transactions.
On the first day (today, the 2nd), the "Busan Special Session" will explore the role of finance and international cooperation mechanisms to support the sustainable transition of the maritime industry.

Jeon Gi-hwan, Vice President of the Korea Ocean Business Corporation, will deliver a keynote speech on "Shipping Decarbonization via Blue Bonds and Busan's Opportunity as a Global Maritime Finance Hub."

Following this, Jeong Heon-jung, Director at Pan Star, Ahn Yong-sung, Associate Research Fellow at the Korea Maritime Institute, and Seo Jong-seok, Korea Representative of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), will present on topics such as the Arctic shipping route and maritime industry decarbonization, sustainable fisheries, and blue finance.

Cho Young-dae, Director at the Busan International Finance Center Promotion Center, Lee Young-jik, Head of the Korea-ASEAN Financial Cooperation Center, and Moon Ho-jin, Deputy General Manager at BNK Busan Bank, will also participate as speakers to introduce Busan's development direction as a maritime finance hub, Korea-ASEAN financial cooperation, and BNK Financial Group's maritime finance strategy.

This evening, a welcome reception will be held at the Avani Central Busan Hotel to provide networking opportunities for domestic and international attendees.

Following the Busan Special Session, subsequent forums and seminars will discuss policy tasks for the digital transformation of Asian bond markets and the expansion of sustainable finance.

The joint session of the Digital Bond Market Forum and the Cross-Border Settlement Infrastructure Forum will cover carbon markets, cross-border carbon transactions, deposit tokens, and digital bonds. Meanwhile, the ASEAN+3 Bond Market Forum will share regional capital market trends, cross-border payments, and the development direction of sustainable finance.

The ASEAN+3 Capacity Building Seminar, hosted by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, will examine risk factors stemming from financial digitization and the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) development on financial stability.

Through the hosting of this forum, Busan City plans to expand its international financial network connecting major global financial cities with various Asian countries, strengthen its cooperation foundation in maritime and digital finance, and elevate its status as an international financial center.

Mayor Jeon Jae-soo stated, "It is meaningful that financial authorities and financial institutions from various Asian countries have gathered in Busan to discuss the future of the bond market and cooperation measures," adding, "I hope this forum will serve as an opportunity to broaden the connectivity of the regional financial market and materialize financial cooperation that supports sustainable growth."

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