The government will intensify checks on crypto and unlisted stock holdings by senior officials and require fuller disclosure and blind-trust treatment for certain single-stock ETF positions.
South Korea plans to strengthen scrutiny of high-ranking public officials’ cryptocurrency holdings and unlisted shares, while overhauling disclosure rules for single-stock ETFs in asset declarations. The measures were included in the Ministry of Personnel Management’s key policy agenda for the second half of 2026 and were briefed to President Lee Jae-myung at the presidential office on Aug. 5, News1 reported on Aug. 6. For crypto assets held by civil servants at Grade 4 or above who are subject to asset screening, authorities aim to obtain trading records earlier and intensify inspections of cases suspected of involving overseas transactions or trades under borrowed names. Reviews of unlisted shares will also become more detailed, including checks on the source of funds, acquisition methods and transaction records. Under revisions to the enforcement rule of the Public Service Ethics Act, single-stock ETFs that were previously disclosed under deposits without naming the security or units held will be reclassified as securities, requiring both details to be made public. Officials holding more than 30 million won ($21,700) in job-related single-stock ETFs will have to sell them or place them in a blind trust within two months, aligning the treatment of those products with listed shares.