South Korea Probes Record $278 Billion Gap in Trade Payments, Citing Crypto and FX Fraud Risks

A massive US$278.7 billion hole has appeared in South Korea's trade data. According to Yonhap News Agency, the Korea Customs Service (KCS) announced on Friday it has launched a special nationwide probe after the discrepancy between trade payments and customs-cleared values hit a five-year high.

A Five-Year High That's More Than Just Timing

The gap between payments received and paid through banks and the value of declared exports and imports reached 427 trillion won (US$278.7 billion) from January to November this year, the largest divergence in five years. While the KCS acknowledges that some discrepancies are common due to timing differences in settlements, the agency stated that this year's unusually large gap may point to something more deliberate. Officials suspect illegal schemes designed to exploit volatility in the foreign exchange market.

Crackdown Targets Virtual Assets and Price Manipulation

In response, the KCS has initiated a special inspection targeting illegal trade and foreign exchange practices. The crackdown will focus on specific violations, including the failure to recover trade payments, the use of virtual assets for irregular settlements, and foreign currency smuggling through manipulated import prices. It’s a clear signal that regulators are targeting the evolving nature of trade-based financial crime.