Less than eight months before South Korea's virtual asset tax, originally scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027, this policy, which has been postponed multiple times, is entering a decisive countdown. According to the current tax system design, the portion of annual income exceeding 2.5 million Korean won (approximately $1,800) will be taxed at 22% (including 20% income tax and 2% local tax), covering about 13.26 million local investors.

Currently, a three-way struggle has formed around crypto taxation: the government continues to ramp up infrastructure construction, promote exchange data sharing, and build comprehensive analysis systems; opposition camps launch fierce attacks around fairness—questioning why stock investment income tax has been abolished while cryptocurrencies are taxed alone; the industry is highly concerned about the market liquidity impact and capital outflow risks caused by a potential drop in trading volume of over 20%. The National Tax Service is working to block tax evasion channels through system integration with five major exchanges and cross-border information exchange based on the CARF framework.

This issue not only concerns the vital interests of millions of investors but also serves as a key window for global observation of how crypto assets are transitioning from speculative frenzy to institutionalized regulation. #韩国加密征税倒计时