[South Korean Central Bank Report Shows Decline in Crypto Trading Activity, Investors Focus on Profit-Taking]
The Bank of Korea (BOK), in its latest *Financial Stability Report*, pointed out that although the activity level of South Korea's crypto market remains higher than the global average (157% compared to 112%), investor behavior has shifted from actively building positions to concentrated profit-taking. When Bitcoin's price surpassed $100,000 in 2025, South Korean retail investors cashed out significantly, with 91.2% of trading volume contributed by the top 10% of accounts, increasing market manipulation risks. BOK warned that if institutional and ETF access is liberalized, South Korea's market vulnerability to global volatility could intensify. Currently, hot money has shifted to the local stock market and leveraged ETFs in the U.S. market.