South Korea’s Presidential Candidates All Back Bitcoin Spot ETF
By: bitcoin ethereum news|2025/05/15 09:45:43
0
Share
South Korea prohibits the issuance and trading of Bitcoin ETFs and restricts institutional participation in cryptocurrency markets 100% of crypto trading volume in the country is driven by retail investors. The upcoming presidential election is scheduled for June 3, 2025 All three major South Korean presidential candidates – Kim Moon-soo (People Power Party), Lee Jae-myung (Democratic Party), and Lee Jun-seok (Reform Party) – have publicly expressed support for the approval of Bitcoin spot ETFs and the inclusion of institutional investors in the country’s cryptocurrency market. This is quite the turn of events considering that presently, South Korea prohibits the issuance and trading of Bitcoin ETFs and restricts institutional participation in cryptocurrency markets. As a result, 100% of crypto trading volume in the country is driven by retail investors. This strong retail presence has led to a distinctive market phenomenon in the country known as the ‘Kimchi Premium,’ where local Bitcoin prices often exceed global averages by a big margin. Regulatory Overhaul Looms After June 3 Presidential Election However, the unified stance among presidential candidates may very well mean a big regulatory shift in South Korea, potentially leading to many new initiatives. For instance, allowing institutional investment could introduce substantial capital into the market, increasing liquidity. Additionally, introducing Bitcoin ETFs could help align South Korea’s crypto market with global standards, probably even reducing the mentioned Kimchi Premium event. Whatever the future holds, the upcoming presidential election next month on June 3 has brought cryptocurrency regulation to the forefront of political discourse in the country. South Korea and Crypto The Asian country has instituted a lot of rules for crypto in the last several years. For example, since 2021, South Korea has implemented strict real-name account systems for crypto exchanges. Then, a year later, exchanges were required to share personal info on senders and receivers of transactions over $1,000. There is also a ban on privacy coins, where cryptocurrencies like Monero (XMR) and Zcash (ZEC) were banned from exchanges due to anonymity concerns. Despite all of the regulations, it’s worth noting that the country also saw multiple developments regarding the crypto industry, with major companies investing in crypto and blockchain initiatives. The Bank of Korea (BoK) has been running Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) trials with financial institutions and tech partners like Samsung. Also, SK Group (a multinational manufacturing and services conglomerate headquartered in Seoul) and LG CNS (tech branch of the country’s fourth-largest conglomerate LG Group) are investing in blockchain logistics, supply chain, and digital identity projects. That said, there have been some signs of potential changes, and with the upcoming presidential elections, something is bound to happen for the crypto industry in South Korea. Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is for informational and educational purposes only. The article does not constitute financial advice or advice of any kind. Coin Edition is not responsible for any losses incurred as a result of the utilization of content, products, or services mentioned. Readers are advised to exercise caution before taking any action related to the company. Source: https://coinedition.com/all-major-south-korean-presidential-candidates-support-bitcoin-etfs/
You may also like

Morning Report | Tom Lee predicts that the cryptocurrency winter will end in April; xStocks introduces a new on-chain private equity fund; Sui mainnet upgraded to V1.68.1
Overview of Important Market Events on March 29

Polymarket rules have changed, how should airdrop participants respond?
The regulatory hunt has already formed, and Polymarket's policy upgrade is a proactive response to this hunt.

Crypto ETF Weekly | Last week, the net outflow of Bitcoin spot ETFs in the U.S. was $296 million; the net outflow of Ethereum spot ETFs in the U.S. was $206 million
Franklin Templeton launches tokenized ETFs, enabling 24/7 cryptocurrency wallet trading.

This Week's Key News Preview | The U.S. Releases March Non-Farm Payroll Data; Polymarket Expands Fee Structure
Highlights from March 30 to April 5 this week.

Slow Down, That's the Answer to the Age of the Agent
Rather than worrying about AI, it's better to regain control of pace and judgment

From Cash to Cryptocurrency: Moving Towards a Unified Regulatory Path for Illegal Payments
By establishing a framework based on the principle of "general law" and broadly defining the function of "payment tools," future innovations can be automatically included in the regulatory perspective, thereby breaking the passive cycle of "innovation-regulation-re-innovation-re-regulation" and guid...

Who will own the most Bitcoin in 2026
In this article, we will examine some individuals, companies, and wallets that have become crypto whales based on on-chain data and their own public statements, and investigate the amount of Bitcoin they hold.

A private feud lasting 10 years, if not for OpenAI's "hypocrisy," would not have led to the world's strongest AI company, Anthropic
What shapes the global AI landscape is not only the competition of technological routes but also a personal trauma that has never healed.

"Crypto Tsar" steps down: 130 days of political performance come to an end, how much of Trump's crypto promise remains?
The encryption czar has left, and Trump has muted.

From Utopian Narratives to Financial Infrastructure: The "Disenchantment" and Shift of Crypto VC
Financial infrastructure is the real reason that attracts venture capital investment in the cryptocurrency field.

A decade-long personal feud, if not for OpenAI's "hypocrisy," there would be no globally leading AI company Anthropic
Shaping the global AI landscape is not just a battle of technical paths, but also a wound of private trauma that has never healed

a16z: The True Meaning of Strong Chain Quality, Block Space Should Not Be Monopolized
Essentially, this attribute allows stakeholders to have a "virtual lane" within a high-throughput blockchain to ensure their transactions can be included.

a16z: The True Meaning of Strong Chain Quality, Block Space Should Not Be Monopolized
Essentially, this attribute allows stakeholders to have "virtual lanes" within a high-throughput blockchain, ensuring that their transactions can be included.

2% user contribution, 90% trading volume: The real picture of Polymarket
Is Polymarket a battleground for retail investors or an arena for institutions?

Trump Can't Take It Anymore, 5 Signals of the US-Iran Ceasefire
From Oil Prices and Elections to Secret Negotiations, Are the US and Iran Really Heading for a Ceasefire?

Judge Halts Pentagon's Retaliation Against Anthropic | Rewire News Evening Brief
The "Orwellian" Term Stymies Pentagon's Supply Chain Risk Label for Anthropic

Midfield Battle of Perp DEX: The Decliners, The Self-Savers, and The Latecomers
Hyperliquid has captured this wave of geopolitical market trends with commodity contracts. Decentralized exchanges are moving from internal competition within the crypto industry to a genuine alternative to traditional financial infrastructure, and this direction has only just begun.

Iran War Stalemate: What Signal Should the Market Follow?
Watch the Bond Market
Morning Report | Tom Lee predicts that the cryptocurrency winter will end in April; xStocks introduces a new on-chain private equity fund; Sui mainnet upgraded to V1.68.1
Overview of Important Market Events on March 29
Polymarket rules have changed, how should airdrop participants respond?
The regulatory hunt has already formed, and Polymarket's policy upgrade is a proactive response to this hunt.
Crypto ETF Weekly | Last week, the net outflow of Bitcoin spot ETFs in the U.S. was $296 million; the net outflow of Ethereum spot ETFs in the U.S. was $206 million
Franklin Templeton launches tokenized ETFs, enabling 24/7 cryptocurrency wallet trading.
This Week's Key News Preview | The U.S. Releases March Non-Farm Payroll Data; Polymarket Expands Fee Structure
Highlights from March 30 to April 5 this week.
Slow Down, That's the Answer to the Age of the Agent
Rather than worrying about AI, it's better to regain control of pace and judgment
From Cash to Cryptocurrency: Moving Towards a Unified Regulatory Path for Illegal Payments
By establishing a framework based on the principle of "general law" and broadly defining the function of "payment tools," future innovations can be automatically included in the regulatory perspective, thereby breaking the passive cycle of "innovation-regulation-re-innovation-re-regulation" and guid...
