[South Korea Launches Deposit Token Payment Infrastructure Project, Expands CBDC Pilot to Private Payments] According to DigitalToday, the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) and the Ministry of Science and ICT have launched the 'Deposit Token Payment Infrastructure Expansion Project,' extending the results of South Korea's CBDC pilot 'Project Hangang' to the private payment sector. The project is overseen by the Korea Financial Telecommunications & Clearings Institute, with participation from 9 banks, 8 payment gateways, and 2 major demand-side entities, and a total budget of 9.6 billion KRW. The aim is to reduce payment fees for small and micro merchants. The project leverages existing payment systems instead of building new infrastructure, allowing users to complete payments through bank deposit token wallets without merchants needing to replace their terminals. The government also plans to apply deposit tokens to a pilot for official travel expenses and explore a treasury fund management model integrated with dBrain.