S. Korea threatens shutdown

SEOUL: South Korea is preparing to shut down cryptocurrency exchanges in the country, its justice minister warned yesterday, sending prices of bitcoin and other virtual units into a tailspin.

A series of measures have failed to curb overheated virtual currency speculation in the country and Justice Minister Park Sang-Ki said it would be “devastating if the bubble bursts”.

“The ministry is preparing legislation that basically bans any transactions based on a virtual currency through the trading floor,” he said.

Authorities had “grave concerns” over the craze and were “aiming to close virtual currency exchanges” in the country, he said.

Park’s remarks sent bitcoin prices plunging 18 per cent on South Korean exchange Bithumb, while ethereum slumped 23 per cent.

Bithumb — one of around 20 virtual currency exchanges in South Korea — was raided by tax authorities on Wednesday who inspected the company’s documents.

Financial authorities also inspected six local banks that offered virtual accounts for corporate customers.

Last month Seoul banned its financial firms from dealing in virtual currencies.

Two weeks later, it announced a ban on opening anonymous cryptocurrency accounts and a crackdown on money laundering activities using them.

It has also warned most cryptocurrencies were being traded in South Korea at far higher prices than elsewhere in the world, blaming factors including “blind speculation”.