Title Sponsor Opening Keynote

Transcript

Good afternoon. I'm Bongseok Kwak, CEO of DB Securities. First, my sincere congratulations on the opening of Ethereum Korea One. To the partners who made today possible, and to the global institutions, builders and investors visiting Korea — thank you. The reason DB Securities joined this event as title sponsor is clear. Digital assets, with Ethereum at their center, are becoming a key pillar of global financial infrastructure. At this moment, Korea's traditional financial institutions must, we believe, be the anchor at the center of this change.

So this is not simply sponsorship, or putting our name on a banner. It is our commitment to show, through responsible execution, how traditional finance and the Ethereum ecosystem can connect to create real value in Korea — and for DB Securities to lead the way. The essence of finance is connecting capital, on a foundation of trust, to where it is needed. For a long time, this role has been played by banks, brokerages, asset managers and exchanges.

Ethereum is not a technology that runs separately from traditional finance. It is already established as common infrastructure that helps different institutions and markets connect with one another in a trustworthy way. On Ethereum, the issuance and transfer of assets, and how settlement is recorded and carried out, can be redesigned. But technology by itself is not the answer for finance. Markets earn trust when the accountability of traditional finance works together with the openness of blockchain.

DB Securities is the only Korean brokerage that chose to compete on execution, not scale. Closing the gap between decision-making and the front line, between business and technology, and seamlessly connecting Korea's regulatory environment with the global ecosystem — that, we are confident, is our strength. Our Digital Asset Business Team began in November 2025 as a task force, a dedicated unit formed for a specific mission. After validating its business model and expertise, it became a permanent team in May 2026.

We now pursue three pillars: security token (STO) issuance and structuring, platform building, and government and global partnerships. The first case putting these principles to the test in real business is a project backed by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA): Busan City's initiative to develop and commercialize an STO platform for carbon reduction. DB Securities formed a consortium with Busan startup Marina Chain to run the project, and within it we lead STO structure design and financial structuring.

The point of this project is not a mere blockchain tech demo. It is to prove, by linking real assets and real contracts, that security tokens can take hold as an effective funding tool for the real economy. That is what we aim to validate. Through this journey, we aim to set new benchmarks, one by one, where traditional finance meets innovative technology. If the Busan project is a live testing ground linking the real economy and security tokens, Ethereum is the core infrastructure for scaling it to global capital markets.

The reason DB Securities is focused on the Ethereum ecosystem is clear: to move real-world capital on the most trusted infrastructure in global markets. Our partnership with the Optimism Foundation this July is the first step toward making this vision a reality. Through this partnership, drawing on a brokerage's core responsibility of raising capital and structuring assets, we aim to prove how new technology can earn institutional trust and take root as a real investment market.

Within the firm guardrails of a rigorous regulatory regime and investor protection, our goal is to design the optimal structure that adds the flexibility of the global ecosystem. Because technology alone cannot be the answer for finance, we will uphold the non-negotiable values of trust and stability, and within the Ethereum ecosystem build a new standard for capital markets. To the global institutions and partners here today, I would like to say this. Korea has high adoption of digital finance, robust capital markets infrastructure, and clear standards for investor protection.

At the same time, it is at a pivotal moment as regulation and the market mature together. DB Securities will not promise you merely a local point of contact. The role we aim for is more concrete. We will seamlessly connect global technology with Korea's financial regulatory environment, shape it into a workable business structure, and even after it takes hold in the market, remain a partner that consistently takes responsibility. Rather than hasty promotion, we will focus on reliable execution.

We see regulation and security not as constraints on business, but as prerequisites for building a sustainable ecosystem. On the front line of change, with DB Securities' fast and flexible execution, we will set the market's standards together with you. Ethereum Korea One is where technology and finance, Korea and the world, regulation and innovation meet. I hope today's discussions go beyond good presentations and lead to real collaboration that combines our strengths.

DB Securities will be a front-line partner, helping global innovation take root in Korea's capital markets as safely and deeply as possible. I look forward to building, together, capital markets that are safer, more transparent and more broadly connected. Once again, congratulations on this event. I hope today marks the start of new partnerships for all of you. Thank you.