South Korea regulator flags better deal for cryptocurrency industry

A better deal for South Korea's cryptocurrency industry might be in the offing as the market regulator changes tack from its tough stance on the virtual coin trade, promising instead to help promote blockchain technology. The regulator said on Tuesday that it hopes to see South Korea - which has become a hub for cryptocurrency trade - normalise the virtual coin business in a self-regulatory environment.
"The whole world is now framing the outline (for cryptocurrency) and therefore (the government) should rather work more on normalisation than increasing regulation," said Choe Heung-sik, chief of South Korea's Finance Supervisory Service (FSS), told reporters.
The latest news suggests authorities might adopt a lighter regulatory touch, a step change from the justice minister's warnings in January that the government was considering shutting down local cryptocurrency exchanges, throwing the market into turmoil. FSS has been leading the government's regulation of cryptocurrency trading as part of a task force. Cryptocurrency operators see Choe's comments as positive step for the industry's plans for self-regulation.
"Though the government and the industry have not yet reached a full agreement, the fact that the regulator himself made clear the government's stance on co-operation is a positive sign for the markets," said Kim Haw-joon of the Korea Blockchain Association.