According to CoinMeta, as reported by Beincrypto, from 2021 to August 2025, a certain method in South Korea was involved in illegal crypto transactions amounting to $6.4 billion, accounting for over 90% of the total illegal transactions of $7.1 billion during that period. In the first half of 2026, there were 1,214 cases of virtual asset money laundering in South Korea, a surge of 152 times compared to 8 cases throughout 2025, accounting for 79.4% of the total crypto crimes during that time, with USDT being the main medium. Only 18 people were arrested in the first half of the year, which is lower than the 42 arrests in 2023. During the same period, South Korean customs seized illegal foreign exchange transactions worth 7.2 trillion Korean won, approximately $49.2 billion, with over 90% of the funds involved flowing through unlicensed channels.