Bitcoin Kimchi Premium Spikes as South Korea's Political Turmoil Escalates

5 months ago

South Koreans are paying a afloat 3% much to bargain bitcoin (BTC) than their U.S. counterparts arsenic they question extortion from the plummeting won, CryptoQuant information show.

Priced successful won, the largest cryptocurrency is valued astatine 145,000,000 ($98,600) connected the country's largest crypto exchange, Upbit. That compares with astir $96,700 connected Coinbase (COIN).

The determination follows a ballot by the South Korean parliament to impeach Han Duck-soo, the premier curate and acting president, conscionable weeks aft impeaching President Yoon Suk Yeol. The won slumped a 15-year debased against the dollar.

"This unfolding saga is fundamentally astir election fraud and the erosion of trust successful South Korea’s National Election Commission (NEC)," said Jeff Park, caput of alpha strategies astatine concern manager Bitwise, successful a station connected X. "The usage of impeachment arsenic a governmental tool, combined with allegations of overseas predetermination interference, underscores the fragility of ideology successful the look of disinformation. This is not conscionable a Korean story; it’s a informing for democracies worldwide."

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