Digital-asset-linked illicit foreign-exchange transactions detected in South Korea from 2018 through July 2026 totaled 12.1407 trillion won, reported as about $8.8 billion, across 91 cases, according to Korea Customs Service data analyzed by lawmaker Park Soo-young of the ruling People Power Party. The cases represented 51% of all 177 detected illicit foreign-exchange cases and 67% of the combined 18.0297 trillion won involved. Of 34 foreign nationals caught in crypto-linked illegal foreign-exchange trading since 2018, 27 were Chinese nationals. The activity includes moving virtual assets across borders for conversion into Korean won or other local currencies. South Korea’s planned virtual-asset tax regime and the OECD-led Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework remain enforcement concerns, particularly for transactions involving overseas exchanges and personal wallets.