24 March 2025, Seoul. The Korea Development Institute – Global Knowledge Exchange and Development Center (KDI-GKEDC) held a Digital Finance Roundtable on 19 March 2025 at the Rose of Sharon Hall, 2nd Floor, Education Building of the GKEDC. The event was participated in by representatives of diplomatic missions from ASEAN Member States in Seoul. Deputy Chief of Mission and Consul General Romulo Victor M. Israel Jr. and Third Secretary and Vice Consul Reisha L. Olavario represented the Philippine Embassy in the roundtable.  

Executive Director Dong Soo Kang in his opening remarks shared that the KDI-GKEDC community event with ASEAN Embassies serves as a platform to foster stronger economic, social and technological collaboration between the Republic of Korea and the ASEAN. The Digital Finance Roundtable provides an opportunity to expand cooperation by leveraging ROK’s fintech sector and ASEAN’s rapidly evolving financial landscape to drive financial inclusion, economic growth and innovation. ROK has made significant strides in digital banking, fintech and block chain technology while ASEAN has digital transformation and inclusive finance initiatives. This collaboration will serve as a catalyst for mutual prosperity. 

The roundtable featured GKED Talks on Digital Finance. Mr. Alex KY Jo, Co-founder & Group COO of Paywatch Korea and Paywatch Indonesia presented on Paywatch, a salary advance payment service that offers employees early access to their wages through their mobile digital app. Its services are currently available in Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Indonesia, Philippines, and Hong Kong. The second speaker, Mr. Back-gyu Sung, Team Manager of Fintech Center Korea, spoke on Financial Technology as a major driver of innovation and accelerating digitalization in the financial market and the ROK’s Financial Regulatory Sandbox Policy.

The Philippine Embassy in Seoul will continue to collaborate with the KDI-GKEDC in pursuing projects on inclusive growth and socio-economic development. END