South Korea has launched the "Deposit Token Payment Infrastructure Expansion Project," extending its central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilot, "Project Hangang," to the private payment sector. Spearheaded by the Korea Financial Telecommunications & Clearings Institute, the initiative involves 9 banks, 8 payment gateways, and 2 large demand-side entities, with a budget of 9.6 billion won. The project aims to lower payment fees for small and micro merchants by utilizing existing payment systems, allowing users to complete transactions via bank deposit token wallets without requiring merchants to change terminals. The government plans to integrate deposit tokens into a public official travel expense pilot and explore a treasury fund management model linked with dBrain. Approximately 3 billion won will be allocated to development, operation, and promotion efforts by SMEs, startups, and IT companies, while participating banks will advance related businesses with an additional 4.5 billion won investment.