South Korea clears retired police, tax officials for Bithumb affiliates’ auditor roles

Bucket Studio and Vidente, two KOSDAQ-listed Bithumb affiliates under trading-suspension and delisting pressure, were allowed to hire former National Police Agency and National Tax Service officials after a July 24 ethics review.

Summary

South Korea’s Government Public Ethics Committee approved employment moves involving two retired officials at Bithumb affiliates, clearing Bucket Studio to appoint a former National Police Agency officer as a full-time auditor and allowing Vidente to hire a former National Tax Service official as an auditor. The committee’s July review results, released on Aug. 3 and cited by Yonhap News Agency, said the appointments were permissible because the officials’ new duties were not closely related to the work they handled during the five years before retirement. The decision is notable because Bucket Studio and Vidente are KOSDAQ-listed companies affiliated with crypto exchange Bithumb and are facing trading suspensions and delisting risks.

Terms & Concepts
  • KOSDAQ-listed: Quoted on South Korea’s tech-heavy stock market
  • auditor: Corporate overseer of compliance and controls
  • delisting risks: Threat of removal from a stock exchange