After the crisis from sub-prime mortgage and the bankruptcy of Lehman-Brothers Group.,
G20 decided to impose restrictions on OTC derivatives market such as mandatory clearing of
standard OTC derivative transactions through Central Counterparty(“CCP”), execution of
standard OTC derivative transactions through electronic platform and reporting of all kinds of
OTC derivative transactions to Trade Repository(“TR”). In case of Korea, the relevant law (i.e.
the revision of Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act, “FSCMA”) for CCP was
enacted on March 5, 2013 and, finally, the mandatory clearing of KRW interest rate swap
transactions through CCP started from June 30, 2014. Korea Exchange(“KRX”) obtained the
license of CCP on September 11, 2013.
Theoretically, Client Clearing Service should start together with mandatory clearing but such
service actually started from 15 October 2014. However, there are several important issues
regarding Client Clearing. The most serious issue is the scope of the transactions to be
mandatorily cleared through CCP. The present provision in FSCMA seems to include standard
KRW interest rate swap transactions with investment trust, money trust or insurance companies
etc.. Practically, insurance companies are not ready to join mandatory clearing because of lack
of guidance by KRX. Furthermore, mandatory clearing of KRW interest rate swap transactions
of investment trust and money trust is practically difficult at present. Therefore, it is desirable
to revise FSCMA to make proper scope of mandatorily cleared OTC derivative transactions. To
obtain benefit of CCP clearing, clarifying counterparty risk of Client in CCP clearing is important
and such counterparty risk shall be the risk of CCP. Considering high legal cost of Close-out
netting opinion for Client Clearing Service Agreement, it is highly recommendable for KRS to bear such cost and publicize the opinion in its web site. The protection of a client margin
given to KRX through a member in CCP clearing is to be clarified by the revision of law. In
addition to above, increasing the number of CCP members who provide client clearing service
is also one of the critical issues in relation to client clearing of OTC derivative transactions
through CCP.