KSNet and Solana Foundation Partner to Test Blockchain Payments in Korea

The initial phase focuses on technical verification rather than immediate commercial deployment. KSNet plans to test how Solana Pay functions within its established infrastructure, which has served local merchants for 26 years. Central to this trial is the implementation of anti-money laundering controls and the connection of blockchain settlements to the company’s existing won-based network. This hybrid approach seeks to maintain compliance with domestic financial regulations while mitigating liquidity risks and exchange-rate volatility often associated with digital assets.

Beyond consumer payments, the partnership targets machine-to-machine transactions through the x402 protocol. By leveraging the HTTP 402 “Payment Required” status code, the companies are evaluating a system that allows AI agents to execute micro-payments for API access autonomously. This model aims to reduce the high processing costs typical of conventional payment systems, which often struggle with the overhead of multiple intermediaries during small-value transactions. KSNet CEO Park Han-han stated that the company intends to leverage its decades of settlement experience to establish a secure framework for these digital services before moving toward commercialization.