Digital asset exchange Gopax has appointed Kim Na-young (김나영), former head of financial business development at Amazon Web Services (AWS) Korea, as its new chief executive officer. It plans to accelerate efforts to resolve the long-unsettled issue of unpaid GoFi funds, normalise management and prepare to renew its virtual asset service provider (VASP) registration.

Streami, the operator of Gopax, said on July 27 it had appointed Kim as the new CEO.

Kim is a finance and information technology (IT) specialist who earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) qualification.

While at AWS Korea, she supported blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI)-based digital transformation projects at major domestic financial companies. She previously served as Bloomberg's Korea representative and, until recently, served as a member of the steering committee at the Korea Investment Corporation (KIC).

Gopax expects Kim to overhaul internal controls and risk management and strengthen communication with financial authorities, based on her experience in financial regulation and IT.

The top priority is repaying GoFi customer funds. GoFi is a digital asset deposit service operated by Gopax, and some customer funds remain unpaid following the fallout from Genesis Global Capital's suspension of withdrawals.

Binance, Gopax's largest shareholder, also plans to support the new management's efforts to normalise operations.

Kim said, "Repaying GoFi funds and normalising management are the top priorities." She added, "I will focus all our capabilities on resolving the unpaid issues for GoFi customers first."

She said, "There is a pile of tasks that must be resolved, including VASP renewal." She added, "Based on thorough internal controls and transparent management, I will communicate with financial authorities and put Gopax back on a normal track."