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Since late May—spanning the past 17 days—the price gap for bitcoin in South Korea has climbed, topping a 3% difference by month’s end. As of Sunday, June 8, bitcoin is trading in the country at more than $1,500 above the worldwide average.
Crypto Prices Break Away in South Korea, Sparking Premium Frenzy
Bitcoin is currently trading at a 1.43% premium in South Korea compared with the global average, based on data from Upbit and coinmarketcap.com. As of exactly 9:55 a.m. Eastern time, BTC is priced near $105,896 per coin globally, while South Korean exchanges are listing it at $107,412—a 1.43% difference.
Back on May 21, 2025, cryptoquant.com reported a modest 0.22% discount. On that date, BTC’s global average hovered around $106,786, but South Korean platforms like Upbit and Bithumb showed a slightly lower price of $106,551. Since then, the price gap has flipped into premium territory, peaking at 3.09% on May 30.
On that day, BTC’s global rate came in at $103,998, but in South Korea, it fetched $107,118—an extra $3,120 per coin. This price discrepancy, commonly referred to as the “kimchi premium,” stems from South Korea’s tight capital controls and financial rules, which limit cross-border fund flows and shrink the bitcoin supply on local exchanges.
The premium trend isn’t limited to bitcoin ( BTC)—ethereum ( ETH) is also trading 1.71% above the global weighted average on South Korean exchanges. XRP shows a similar pattern, priced at $2.31 in South Korea versus $2.27 globally, marking a 1.76% difference. Solana ( SOL) joins the lineup too, fetching 1.49% more on platforms like Upbit and Bithumb compared to its international rate.
These pricing gaps hint at persistent demand from South Korean traders. The consistent premiums across multiple assets suggest that local market forces are driving unique price behaviors. As global and regional markets respond differently to new policy and access, South Korea continues to chart its own pricing rhythm within the broader crypto economy.
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