A KEY metric to gauge the interest in Bitcoin from investors in South Korea has risen this week to a four-month high, as the political turmoil in the East Asian country deepens.
“Kimchi Premium”, which refers to the price gap between Bitcoin on South Korean exchange Upbit compared to Coinbase, has surged to the range of 3 to 5 per cent this week, according to data compiled by blockchain data platform CryptoQuant. An increase in the metric usually indicates an elevated demand from South Korea-based investors in Bitcoin. The same metric for stablecoin Tether also has surged to the similar range.
“South Korea faces an unprecedented wealth outflow amid political turmoil, declining birth rates, and slowing growth,” said Ki Young Ju, founder and CEO of CryptoQuant. “Inflation fears drive conversions of won assets into US stocks, Bitcoin, gold, and US dollars. Many crypto investors prefer exchanges over banks, with Tether and Bitcoin trading at 2 to 5 per cent premiums.
South Korea’s political landscape has been thrown into chaos after President Yoon Suk-yeol’s ill-fated declaration of martial law earlier this month, which lasted only six hours before being rescinded. The National Assembly quickly impeached Yoon on Dec 14, suspending his powers and elevating Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to the role of acting president.
In the latest development, the parliament voted on Friday to impeach Han as well, the first time an acting president has been impeached in the country. The crisis has rattled financial markets, while South Korea’s facing increased economic challenges and nuclear threats from North Korea.
The South Korean won declined 0.35 per cent against the US dollar.
South Korea counts as one of the most active retail markets for cryptocurrencies, as volume on Korea-based crypto exchanges often surpasses that on stock exchanges, according to Ju. Corporate accounts are not allowed to be set up on South Korean crypto exchanges, Ju added, which means the crypto activities in South Korea are almost all from retail investors.
“Kimchi Premium”, which is named after the popular Korean side dish, has been a popular metric to measure retail interest from South Korea in crypto, and outside the increased demand, strict currency controls and anti-money-laundering rules also have played a role in the phenomenon. BLOOMBERG
