일본의 지급결제제도의 최근 규제 동향과 시사점

Abstract

This study examined the recent reforms related to Japan's payment systems as well as the restriction trends on virtual currency and credit cards. The ultimate goal of Japan's payment system reforms is to increase user convenience and strengthen its international competitiveness. In order to pursue its goals, it has set the key factors as strengthening the fundamental functions of the payment infrastructure, establishment of domestic/international single payment environments, clarification of the actual action plans to pursue new innovations, and continuous reforms as it searches for concrete execution plans. In particular, it is necessary to take note that it has designated a guideline so that banks can pursue it proactively through experts in the industry such as banks and organizations ranging from the private and public sector during the course of setting and discussing the basic objectives for payment infrastructure reforms. Japan is searching for concrete restriction plans for the sake of accepting international requests for measures against money laundering and terrorist fund provision, while also protecting users in regards to virtual currency. For the virtual currency exchange center, it is considering to add specific businesses of criminal money prevention and add the responsibility of checking identities when opening up savings accounts, the responsibility to draft and preserve self identification records and transaction records, and the responsibility to make reports to the respective authorities for suspicious transactions. Furthermore, in order to protect virtual currency users, it is conducting reviews on adding the responsibility of explanation to prevent mistakes, responsibility to provide information on the user, responsibility to prohibit the borrowing of names, responsibility to separately manage savings money and virtual currency, responsibility to safely manage information, responsibility to draft and preserve ledgers and submit business reports, financial restrictions, and to give authorities the right to order reforms or suspension of operations and to cancel registrations. Korea also requires continuous reforms for payment systems. For example, it is necessary to take preemptive actions to prepare for the internationalization of payment systems such as introducing international standard systems in link with reforming existing large/small payment systems and securities payment systems and with constructing new systems. Moreover, regulatory measures on virtual currency, which is a new payment method, should also be reviewed. Virtual currency can be used for crime by making it easy to launder money and because payment is not guaranteed by the issuer such as a nation or financial company, consumers may incur damages. Therefore, in addition to adding financial regulations such as the application of minimal capital systems and granting regulatory rights to authorities such as for canceling registrations, it is also necessary to implement measures such as the responsibility to explain the risk of losses to virtual company businesses and to separately manage money and virtual currency deposited by users.