[헤럴드경제=김은희 기자] 앞으로 테러 또는 대량살상무기 확산(WMD) 등과 관련된 자가 직간접적으로 소유·지배하는 법인도 ‘금융거래등제한대상자’로 지정해 금융 거래나 재산권 처분 등을 제한할 수 있게 된다.

14일 금융위원회에 따르면 테러 관련자의 자산동결 범위를 확대하는 내용을 담은 ‘공중등 협박목적 및 대량살상무기확산을 위한 자금조달행위의 금지에 관한 법률’(테러자금금지법) 일부개정법률 공포안이 이날 국무회의에서 의결됐다.

금융위원회는 테러 관련자를 금융거래등제한대상자로 지정할 수 있으나 지금까지는 테러 관련자 본인의 자금·재산에 대해만 거래를 제한할 수 있었다.

이번에 개정된 테러자금금지법에 따르면 금융위원회는 테러 관련자뿐 아니라 그가 직간접적으로 소유·지배하는 법인도 금융거래등제한대상자로 지정할 수 있게 된다. 또한 금융위원회가 금융거래등제한대상자로 별도로 지정하지 않은 법인이라도 그 법인이 금융거래등제한대상자로 지정된 테러 관련자가 직간접적으로 소유·지배하는 법인이라면 금융 거래, 재산권 처분 등이 제한된다.

이에 따라 테러·대량살상무기 확산 관련 자금조달 행위를 금지하는 테러자금금지법의 실효성이 제고될 것으로 기대된다. 또한 국제자금세탁방지기구(FATF)의 국제기준에 부합하게 돼 국내 금융시스템의 국제신인도에도 긍정적인 영향을 미칠 것으로 기대된다.

[Herald Economy = Reporter Eun-hee Kim] In the future, corporations directly or indirectly owned or controlled by those involved in terrorism or proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) will be designated as “targets of financial transaction restrictions,” and their financial transactions or disposal of property rights, etc. will be restricted.

According to the Financial Services Commission on the 14th, a partial revision bill to the Act on the Prohibition of Financing for the Purpose of Intimidation and the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (Prohibition of Terrorist Financing Act), which includes provisions to expand the scope of asset freezing for terrorist-related individuals, was passed at the Cabinet meeting that day.

The Financial Services Commission can designate individuals involved in terrorism as subjects of financial transaction restrictions, but until now, it has only been able to restrict transactions involving the funds and assets of individuals involved in terrorism.

According to the revised Anti-Terrorist Financing Act, the Financial Services Commission can designate not only terrorists but also corporations directly or indirectly owned or controlled by them as subjects of financial transaction restrictions. In addition, even if the Financial Services Commission has not separately designated a corporation as subjects of financial transaction restrictions, if it is a corporation directly or indirectly owned or controlled by a terrorist who has been designated as subjects of financial transaction restrictions, financial transactions, property rights disposal, etc. will be restricted.

Accordingly, it is expected that the effectiveness of the Anti-Terrorist Financing Act, which prohibits financing activities related to terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, will be enhanced. In addition, it is expected to have a positive effect on the international credibility of the domestic financial system as it will be in line with the international standards of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).