Financial safety

S. Korea readies ban on cryptocurrency trading as police & tax agency raid exchanges

South Korea’s justice minister has announced legislation is in the works to ban cryptocurrency trading after police and tax authorities reportedly raided the country’s biggest exchanges in a tax evasion probe.

“There are great concerns regarding virtual currencies and the justice ministry is basically preparing a bill to ban cryptocurrency trading through exchanges,” Park Sang-ki told a press conference, according to the ministry’s media office.

The minister refused to disclose any details about the planned shutdown, but promised to work “jointly” with the government task force.

Earlier an official at Coinone, a major cryptocurrency exchange in South Korea, confirmed to Reuters that “a few officials from the National Tax Service” raided their office this week. The source said police have been investigating the company since last year, suspecting their operations of “gambling.”