South Korea plans to amend the law to grant the FIU direct law enforcement authority: combating unreported cryptocurrency exchanges

According to Digital Asset, on August 20, members of the Korean National Power Party, including Yoon Tae-yong, proposed an amendment to the Specific Financial Information Act, which aims to grant the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) direct enforcement authority over unreported virtual asset service providers.

According to the amendment, anyone can report illegal activities to the FIU. Upon receiving a report or discovering suspected violations, the FIU can initiate investigations and analyses, and refer the case to or notify investigative authorities. The proposal points out that while current laws impose reporting and anti-money laundering obligations on virtual asset service providers, there are no direct enforcement measures against unreported operators, posing risks of money laundering and illegal cross-border transfers, making it difficult to respond quickly relying solely on inter-agency coordination.