South Korea Says Tokenized Stocks May Be Taxed as Securities as Early as Late 2026

South Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance said tokenized stocks should be treated as securities rather than virtual assets, and could be taxed immediately under the existing Capital Markets Act if the Financial Services Commission confirms their securities status, with implementation possible as early as the second half of this year. According to Odaily, ministry officials said that while tokenized stocks may appear to be virtual assets in form, they are closer to securities in substance. The Financial Services Commission has previously stated in its token securities guidelines that token securities are securities issued in the form of digital assets and fall under the jurisdiction of the Capital Markets Act. The report said the market has generally viewed tokenized stocks as virtual assets, which are considered non-taxable, allowing tax exemption until next year when virtual asset taxation is set to begin. The ministry reiterated its position on taxation and said it is building an information exchange system with overseas tax authorities, including the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.