Chainlink partners with LG CNS to develop infrastructure for South Korea’s $68 billion crypto asset market, focusing on expanding won-denominated stablecoins.

Chainlink has announced a strategic partnership with LG CNS, the LG Group subsidiary specializing in artificial intelligence (AI) transformation and IT services. The agreement aims to develop infrastructure for South Korea’s $68 billion crypto asset market, with a focus on expanding the adoption and distribution of domestic stablecoins, an emerging segment with more than 11 million eligible users.

The agreement comes as the regulatory framework remains unsettled. South Korea currently has no clear legal basis for issuing and commercially trading stablecoins pegged to the local currency. The government and lawmakers are drafting the Digital Asset Basic Act, which is expected to establish rules for won-backed stablecoins and other standards for the digital asset sector. According to the announcement, the two companies will also combine their expertise to help shape this framework.

Oracle infrastructure meets a chaebol’s execution capabilities

Beyond stablecoins, LG CNS plans to integrate Chainlink’s cross-chain interoperability, data provision, and activity coordination infrastructure into its digital asset platform solutions for institutions in South Korea. Chainlink is a decentralized oracle network that connects smart contracts on blockchains with real-world data and external systems. The network primarily serves decentralized finance (DeFi), real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, and institutional platforms.

Hongkeun Kim, Executive Vice President and Head of Digital Business at LG CNS, said South Korea’s financial infrastructure is entering the era of tokenization and that LG CNS aims to play a leading role. He said the partnership with Chainlink would help accelerate the development of the domestic tokenized securities market by enabling secure interoperability between systems and connecting them to real-world data, while also laying the groundwork for expansion into global markets.

LG CNS’s advantage lies in its position across both the private sector and public projects. The company is the lead contractor implementing Project Hangang, a flagship digital currency initiative of the Bank of Korea. This experience gives LG CNS deep insight into the technical and regulatory requirements for domestic digital currency infrastructure—an important factor as the legal framework for won-backed stablecoins takes shape.

Behind LG CNS is LG Group, one of South Korea’s largest conglomerates, with total assets of about 186 trillion won (US$140.5 billion) across 63 affiliates. The group’s subsidiaries have a combined market capitalization of more than US$100 billion.

The agreement shows that businesses are proactively preparing infrastructure ahead of the law’s passage so they are ready when the won stablecoin market officially opens. However, the scale and pace of real-world adoption will still depend on the final provisions of the Digital Asset Basic Act.