South Korea to Block 27 Crypto Websites, Including KuCoin and MEXC

Officials said these restrictions target unregistered exchanges and acknowledged that customers will face problems withdrawing their assets.

Officials said the restrictions were aimed at unregistered exchanges and acknowledged that customers would face difficulty withdrawing assets.

South Korean authorities have approved measures to block domestic access to 27 websites operated by unregistered crypto exchanges and other virtual asset service providers, including KuCoin, MEXC, Phemex and Bitrue.

In an announcement on Tuesday, South Korea's Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) said the decision followed a review by the Korea Media and Communications Standards Commission on Oct. 6 and 7.

This list also includes CoinW, BTCC, BitMart, BingX, DigiFinex and others. The block applies to crypto platforms that are not registered under the country's Anti-Money Laundering Act, the Reporting and Use of Certain Financial Transaction Information Act.

"With this decision, blocking measures against illegal virtual asset operators will also be applied to Internet websites, following plans by the likes of Apple and Google," the FIU said, according to the translation.

These measures include terminating services hosted within the country or blocking access to websites operating abroad.

The move follows previous restrictions on mobile apps. Cointelegraph reported in April 2025 that South Korea blocked the download and update of 14 unregistered crypto exchange apps on Apple's App Store, following restrictions placed on 17 apps through Google Play.

The FIU said authorities will assess whether foreign operators are targeting Korean or benevolent customers by checking whether the platforms offer services in Korean, market to South Korean users or support transactions in Korean won.

FIU acknowledged that website blocks could complicate withdrawals for existing users. The company announced that it plans to work with operators to provide guidance and support through the Digital Asset eXchange Alliance, or DAXA.