South Korea

South Korean authorities have linked the 2019 Upbit exchange hack to North Korea, with over $1 billion worth of stolen ether. The investigation, aided by the FBI and Swiss authorities, traced the stolen funds, recovering some of the assets.

A massive cryptocurrency scam in South Korea led to the arrest of 215 people, including a YouTuber who used his platform to promote fake investment schemes. The scam, which targeted over 15,000 investors, defrauded them of around $230 million by selling worthless crypto assets and making false promises of high returns.

A South Korean court upheld a bank’s decision to fire an employee for “habitual” crypto gaming and improper private money lending to clients, uncovered in an internal audit. The employee appealed, claiming the dismissal was unjust.

Delabs Games, creator of Rumble Racing Star, is diving into Telegram’s TON ecosystem with a Ragnarok release in Q1 2025, followed by Boxing Star in Q3—broadening its gaming presence and fan engagement on the platform.

South Korea has revealed tightening its oversight of cross-border cryptocurrency transactions in a bid to combat tax evasion and "foreign exchange" crimes

South Korea's youth are increasingly defaulting on loans, particularly those linked to neobanks like K Bank, which has a default rate of 4.05% among customers under 30. Experts believe these defaults are tied to failed cryptocurrency investments, prompting calls for stricter loan screening to protect young borrowers from financial distress.

朝鲜半岛紧张局势持续升级，韩军对军事分界线南侧进行警告射击，朝鲜则炸毁了连接两国的通路。币圈担忧，若战争爆发，韩国作为主要的加密货币市场，恐慌情绪可能引发比特币价格剧烈波动。

K Bank is shifting towards an AI-driven investment platform and diversifying its services beyond household loans to include corporate banking. The bank's upcoming IPO aims to support these changes, despite concerns about its relationship with UPbit, which has raised fears of a potential monopoly in the market.

North Gyeongsang Province seized $890,000 in crypto from residents who failed to pay taxes. The province aims to recover $136 million in unpaid taxes by the end of the year, using aggressive measures against tax evaders.