{"id":14449,"date":"2026-10-14T05:01:50","date_gmt":"2026-10-14T05:01:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=14449"},"modified":"2026-10-14T05:01:50","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T05:01:50","slug":"south-korea-locks-out-crypto-users-as-27-exchange-sites-go-dark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=14449","title":{"rendered":"South Korea locks out crypto users as 27 exchange sites go dark"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-cs-editorial-figure-scope=\"\" data-cs-editorial-quote-scope=\"\" data-cs-image-viewer-scope=\"\" data-single-article-content=\"\">\n<p>South Korea has ordered the blocking of domestic access to 27 crypto websites, including KuCoin and MEXC, extending its crackdown on unregistered operators and raising concerns about existing customers\u2019 ability to withdraw.<\/p>\n<p>The country\u2019s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) disclosed the decisions on Oct. 13. South Korea\u2019s communications standards regulator made them following two deliberations on Oct. 6-7, at FIU\u2019s request.<\/p>\n<p>Both exchanges appear in the official list of websites covered by the decisions. FIU says foreign providers serving Korean customers face the same registration requirements as domestic businesses.<\/p>\n<p>The requirements include certification under Korea\u2019s Information Security Management System (ISMS), and they consider Korean-language websites, marketing aimed at Koreans, and support for won payments when assessing whether a foreign provider is doing business in the country.<\/p>\n<div class=\"cs-article-embed\">\n<p> <span class=\"cs-article-embed__related-reading\">Related Reading<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"cs-article-embed__title\">EU targets MiCA loophole that lets crypto exchanges serve 27 countries with one license<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p> <span class=\"cs-article-embed__arrow\" aria-hidden=\"true\"> <i class=\"fa-light fa-arrow-up-right\"\/> <\/span> <\/div>\n<p>App marketplaces had already blocked new installations and updates for unregistered operators, FIU said.<\/p>\n<p>South Korea had already restricted 17 Google Play apps, including KuCoin and MEXC, on March 26, 2025. At that point, FIU was pursuing website restrictions alongside further app-market action.<\/p>\n<p>For users who already hold assets on a platform, a website block can interfere with reaching an account and requesting a withdrawal. FIU acknowledged that blocking could cause withdrawal restrictions or other inconvenience for existing users.<\/p>\n<aside id=\"cs-inline-newsletter-1\" class=\"cs-inline-newsletter cs-newsletter-brand\" data-newsletter-edition=\"catalyst\" data-inline-newsletter=\"\" data-newsletter-placement=\"article-midpoint\" aria-labelledby=\"cs-inline-newsletter-1-title\" aria-describedby=\"cs-inline-newsletter-1-copy\">\n<div class=\"cs-inline-newsletter__inner\">\n<div class=\"cs-inline-newsletter__content\">\n<div class=\"cs-inline-newsletter__editorial\">\n<p class=\"cs-inline-newsletter__eyebrow\">The Catalyst<\/p>\n<p class=\"cs-newsletter-frequency\">Daily Newsletter<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"cs-inline-newsletter-1-title\" class=\"cs-inline-newsletter__title\">Know what\u2019s moving crypto.<\/h2>\n<p id=\"cs-inline-newsletter-1-copy\" class=\"cs-inline-newsletter__copy\">Start with the stories that matter. Get the context behind the headlines and a clear view of what to watch next.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"cs-inline-newsletter__art\" aria-hidden=\"true\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/themes\/cryptoslate-2020\/images\/catalyst-newsletter-scrapbook-v3.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"640\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/themes\/cryptoslate-2020\/images\/catalyst-newsletter-scrapbook-v3.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"640\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<figure id=\"attachment_571997\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-571997\" style=\"width: 720px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"shoggoth-infographic shoggoth-infographic-portrait wp-image-571997\" src=\"https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/exec-edef46bb-6db0-41e5-a8bb-569106bc2ec6.png\" alt=\"Timeline of South Korea\u2019s crypto access restrictions: earlier app-installation and update limits, October 6\u20137, 2026 decisions covering 27 websites including KuCoin and MEXC, and October 13 FIU disclosure. DAXA withdrawal guidance is planned with operators\u2019 cooperation; service-specific rollout and a confirmed withdrawal route are not specified in the announcement.\" width=\"720\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/exec-edef46bb-6db0-41e5-a8bb-569106bc2ec6.png 1122w, https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/exec-edef46bb-6db0-41e5-a8bb-569106bc2ec6-240x300.png 240w, https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/exec-edef46bb-6db0-41e5-a8bb-569106bc2ec6-819x1024.png 819w, https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/exec-edef46bb-6db0-41e5-a8bb-569106bc2ec6-768x960.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload shoggoth-infographic shoggoth-infographic-portrait wp-image-571997\" src=\"https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/exec-edef46bb-6db0-41e5-a8bb-569106bc2ec6.png\" alt=\"Timeline of South Korea\u2019s crypto access restrictions: earlier app-installation and update limits, October 6\u20137, 2026 decisions covering 27 websites including KuCoin and MEXC, and October 13 FIU disclosure. DAXA withdrawal guidance is planned with operators\u2019 cooperation; service-specific rollout and a confirmed withdrawal route are not specified in the announcement.\" width=\"720\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/exec-edef46bb-6db0-41e5-a8bb-569106bc2ec6.png 1122w, https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/exec-edef46bb-6db0-41e5-a8bb-569106bc2ec6-240x300.png 240w, https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/exec-edef46bb-6db0-41e5-a8bb-569106bc2ec6-819x1024.png 819w, https:\/\/cryptoslate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/exec-edef46bb-6db0-41e5-a8bb-569106bc2ec6-768x960.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-571997\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">South Korea\u2019s FIU says 27 unregistered crypto websites face domestic blocking, with withdrawal procedures still unspecified.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Withdrawal support depends on operators\u2019 cooperation<\/h2>\n<p>FIU plans to provide detailed withdrawal methods and procedures through DAXA, a Korean exchange industry group, with the operators\u2019 cooperation. That support is intended to address inconvenience caused by website blocking, but the announcement still leaves its delivery as a future commitment.<\/p>\n<p>The release gives no service-by-service implementation timetable or confirmed withdrawal route for KuCoin or MEXC customers. Users with balances on those platforms still need to know how to reach their accounts and complete transfers when domestic website access is restricted.<\/p>\n<p>FIU urged users to withdraw their crypto assets and deposits immediately after identifying an unregistered operator. It also warned against giving those operators private keys, login information, or copies of identification.<\/p>\n<p>FIU said that authorities intend to pursue blocking after detecting unregistered business activity without waiting for confirmed user losses or a judicial result.<\/p>\n<p>They also plan to monitor substitute website addresses and seek further blocking reviews if operators continue business under changed addresses.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Exchanges,Featured,Legal,Regulation,Kucoin,Mexc,paymentsKucoin,Mexc,payments#South #Korea #locks #crypto #users #exchange #sites #dark1791954110<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>South Korea has ordered the blocking of domestic access to 27 crypto websites, including KuCoin and MEXC, extending its crackdown on unregistered operators and raising concerns about existing customers\u2019 ability to withdraw. The country\u2019s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) disclosed the decisions on Oct. 13. South Korea\u2019s communications standards regulator made them following two deliberations on<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14450,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[62,632,89,1161,4949,4046,3435,167,7168,580,360],"class_list":["post-14449","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ethereum","tag-crypto","tag-dark","tag-exchange","tag-korea","tag-kucoin","tag-locks","tag-mexc","tag-payments","tag-sites","tag-south","tag-users"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.6 (Yoast SEO v26.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>South Korea locks out crypto users as 27 exchange sites go dark - Crypto News: Latest Cryptocurrency News and Analysis<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"South Korea disclosed blocking decisions for 27 crypto websites, including KuCoin and MEXC, while FIU plans withdrawal guidance through DAXA.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=14449\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"South Korea locks out crypto users as 27 exchange sites go dark\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"South Korea disclosed blocking decisions for 27 crypto websites, including KuCoin and MEXC, while FIU plans withdrawal guidance through DAXA.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=14449\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Crypto News: Latest Cryptocurrency News and Analysis\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-10-14T05:01:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/south-korea-crypto-access-block-standard.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1672\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"941\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"\u884c\u653f\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"\u884c\u653f\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=14449\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=14449\",\"name\":\"South Korea locks out crypto users as 27 exchange sites go dark - Crypto News: Latest Cryptocurrency News and Analysis\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=14449#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=14449#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/south-korea-crypto-access-block-standard.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-14T05:01:50+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/#\/schema\/person\/822778c5844e0d16d43dce6630f4f1bf\"},\"description\":\"South Korea disclosed blocking decisions for 27 crypto websites, including KuCoin and MEXC, while FIU plans withdrawal guidance through DAXA.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=14449#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=14449\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=14449#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/south-korea-crypto-access-block-standard.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/south-korea-crypto-access-block-standard.jpg\",\"width\":1672,\"height\":941},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=14449#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"South Korea locks out crypto users as 27 exchange sites go dark\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/\",\"name\":\"Crypto News: Latest Cryptocurrency News and Analysis\",\"description\":\"Latest Crypto &amp; 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