With South Korea’s presidential election approaching, candidates Lee Jae-myung and Kim Moon-soo are offering bold plans to boost the cryptocurrency industry. Both are emphasizing relaxed regulations and expanded access to digital assets. Lee Jae-myung has proposed legalizing spot crypto ETFs and allowing the nation’s $884 billion pension fund to invest in crypto, aiming to modernize the financial system and address capital outflow concerns. He also advocates for widespread stablecoin issuance pegged to the Korean won. This approach reflects a strategy focused on increasing accessibility and market stability. South Korea boasts one of the most active crypto markets globally, with over 18 million people involved in digital asset trading. Notably, transactions on South Korean crypto platforms often surpass stock market volumes, as indicated by data from the Bank of Korea (BOK), which shows that as of last year’s end, South Koreans held $74.5 billion in crypto assets.