Coindesk Logo

Korean Exchange Halts Trading Over KYC Concerns

Korean Exchange Halts Trading Over KYC Concerns

Korean Exchange Halts Trading Over KYC Concerns

South Korea cryptocurrency exchange Coinpia has halted trading amid concerns it has been unable to comply with new government rules.

South Korea cryptocurrency exchange Coinpia has halted trading amid concerns it has been unable to comply with new government rules.

South Korea cryptocurrency exchange Coinpia has halted trading amid concerns it has been unable to comply with new government rules.

AccessTimeIconFeb 6, 2018, 3:30 AM
Updated Aug 18, 2021, 8:06 PM

Presented By Icon

Election 2024 coverage presented by

Stand with crypto

South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Coinpia has announced it will suspend both trading and deposits after it was unable to implement a customer identification system in line with a recently enacted government mandate.

According to an announcement released Tuesday through its homepage, the exchange had suspended Korean won deposits on Jan. 30 in an effort to comply with the new regulation, enforced by South Korea's watchdog Finance Service Commission.

As reported by CoinDesk, the Financial Services Commission (FSC) announced on Jan. 23 that, starting from February, cryptocurrency investors in South Korea would have to use their real names and bank accounts to continue trading.

However, Coinpia reports it continues to struggle with the integration of identity verification into its existing exchange system. As such, exchange executives said the company has to halt trading to comply with anti-money laundry and know-your-customer rules.

The news comes just a week after the new regulation in South Korea came into effect, and as such, it perhaps marks the first trading suspension among Korean exchanges after the country required them to upgrade their trading systems.

Previously, Coinpia was one of eight cryptocurrency exchanges in South Korea that received a fine of $131,000 by the Korea Communications Commission due to allegedly insufficient user privacy protection in its system.

South Korea map via Shutterstock

Disclosure

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information have been updated.

CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk has adopted a set of principles aimed at ensuring the integrity, editorial independence and freedom from bias of its publications. CoinDesk is part of the Bullish group, which owns and invests in digital asset businesses and digital assets. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive Bullish group equity-based compensation. Bullish was incubated by technology investor Block.one.


Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.