South Korea will implement an amended Special Financial Information Act on Aug. 20, expanding screening of digital asset operators to include major shareholders and governance structures. An enforcement decree allows exceptions when violations are minor or punished under vicarious liability rules, easing some uncertainty around Naver Financial and Dunamu’s share-swap plan. Regulators will also tighten requirements on leverage, creditworthiness and internal controls, likely increasing compliance burdens for smaller operators.

South Korea’s financial authorities are stepping up checks on the “separation of finance and virtual assets” principle as ties between securities firms and digital asset exchanges broaden from equity investments to service partnerships and acquisitions. The Korea Financial Investment Association sent guidance to brokerages at the request of the Financial Supervisory Service, warning services could be limited if they violate the principle or amount to outsourcing. Deal structures, platform links and customer data use remain key areas without clear detailed criteria.