In June 2026, the net outflow of stablecoins from South Korea to foreign cryptocurrency exchanges reached 560.3 billion South Korean won, equivalent to $367.0 million. According to the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), this figure represents about 78% of the net purchases of foreign shares by South Korean investors over the same period. During the reporting month, assets worth 2.76 trillion won (more than $1.8 billion) were transferred to foreign services from the five largest local platforms, including Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit and Gopax. Only 2.2 trillion won (about $1.4 billion) was received in the opposite direction, which recorded a negative balance of cross-border transactions.

This trend has continued continuously for 18 months, starting in January 2025. During this period, the volume of funds transferred by users to foreign trading platforms systematically exceeded the volume of return receipts to the country. The second quarter of 2026 was especially significant, when the net outflow of stablecoins amounted to 1.69 trillion won (about $1.1 billion). By comparison, foreign equity transactions over the same period resulted in net sales of 1.62 trillion won (approximately $1.0 billion), as investors sought broader opportunities to diversify their portfolios.

The main reason for the steady outflow of capital is the desire of investors to gain access to financial instruments that are not available on Korean crypto exchanges. Foreign platforms offer trading in cryptocurrency derivatives, as well as spot and futures products linked to shares of large companies such as Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and Hyundai Motor. In addition, services in the field of tokenized real assets (RWA), decentralized finance (DeFi) and high-risk products with leverage are in high demand. Against this background, MP Lee Jong-wook stated the need to accelerate regulatory reform, as the current situation leaves investors without adequate protection when trading risky products on foreign platforms.

***

The material has been prepared solely for informational purposes and does not constitute financial advice or recommendation.