Korea’s Virtual Assets/Cryptocurrency Law

For those who may not know, cryptocurrencies/virtual assets (the best known of them, at the moment, is Bitcoin), are digital representations of value that can be digitally traded or transferred. When holders are using these currencies the transaction, in short, the use is via Blockchains (in short, a decentralized databases). South Korea has been at the forefront of the global cryptocurrency boom and its spread has permeated through all levels of society. Statistics from 2017 show that more than one third

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Korea prepares itself for Big Data-driven 4th Industrial Revolution: Korean Data Protection Laws Revised

On January 9, 2020, the National Assembly of Korea passed the “Three Data Act” of Korea. Implementation of the Act shall begin in June of 2020. The Korean Three Data Act iterates protections for, in general: personal information; information and communication; and business & individual credit information. IPG shall be writing more on this data protection issue over the next couple of months, please check back for more details. Three Data Act of Korea According to an article entitled the

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Korea Blockchain Law Society Founded: Korean Crptocurrency Law Updates

The inaugural meeting of the Blockchain Law Society of Korea was held last week.  We wrote on the Korean Law Blog articles on Korean Blockchain/Alt Currency Law and shall be participating in the Blockchain Law Society and updating the reader on issues addressed by the Blockchain Law Society.  You shall find more articles on Blockchain, Alt currenices, Korean Crypto-currency Law and like topics on this blog over the next couple of months. We are looking forward to more lively discussions and

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Future of Bitcoin in Korea according to FTC: Korean Cryptocurrency Updates

The head of the Korean Fair Trade Commission has noted to local vernaculars that he does not agree with Justice Minister Park Sang-ki’s comment that “cryptocurrency investment is gambling.”  He further noted that: “cryptocurrency recently emerged as an issue in Korea and other laws do not have the exact legal clauses that relate to closing exchanges.”  Thus, indicating, in part, that the Korean government doesn’t have the specific power to close the Korean cryptocurrency exchanges.  Of course, the FTC Chairman’s

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Is Bitcoin Banned for Foreigners in Korea? Korean Bitcoin Law Updates

This Law Firm has wrote a few articles on Bitcoin Law in Korea.  This Alt Currency/Bitcoin Law articles may be found at: Court Challenges to Governments Ban on Cryptocurrency in Korea and Will the Korean Government Ban Bitcoin? Other article can be found via searching the Blog.  A Forbes article notes, with one significant caveat, that: “All foreigners, including residents, nonresidents and “kyopo” ethnic Koreans with foreign citizenship, will be banned from trading cryptocurrencies in Korea, the FSC’s foreign media department said

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Korean Cryptocurrency Case Filed to the Korean Constitutional Court: Korean Bitcoin Updates

The author of this blog, formerly worked for the Constitutional Court of Korea and he is excited to see this matter being litigated in Korean courts.  The issue, as I have always noted, is simply if government are willing to protect the freedom of individuals to trade and speculate in asset classes of the choosing of the investor.  While, I am far from sold on Bitcoin (and other Alt Currencies) as a long-term asset class plays – of course any

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Will the Korean Government Kill Bitcoin? The legality of Bitcoin in Korea

Local Korean vernaculars have reported that Bitcoin and other “Alt Coins” are to be investigated by the Bank of Korea, Korea’s Prosecutors Office and other government agencies. It is alleged by some in the Korean government that these crypto-currencies may be nothing more than Ponzi or Pump & Dumb Schemes.  While, others, proclaim these currencies are at the foundation of freedom and they help to fight inflation imposed by central banking authorities, allows for anonymous transactions and low transaction fees.

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