South Korea Lawmaker Pushes Crypto Tax Delay to 2030

South Korea has deferred crypto taxation repeatedly since the framework passed in 2020. The original launch was January 2022, then pushed to 2023, then to 2025, and finally to 2027. Each delay reflected the same tension: the government wants to tax crypto gains, regulators and some lawmakers argue the infrastructure is not ready.

The political calculus is shifting. The People Power Party points out that South Korea scrapped its planned financial investment income tax on conventional stock profits. Imposing a 22% levy on crypto while exempting most equity gains creates a regulatory mismatch, party members argue. That disparity gives repeal advocates a concrete argument beyond "crypto is new and hard to tax."

Full repeal would need support from the government and the governing coalition, both of which have leaned toward keeping the tax on the books.

Separate from the tax fight, South Korea is drafting broader digital-asset regulations covering stablecoins, exchange licensing, disclosure rules, and market infrastructure. Jeong has also sponsored legislation that would let institutions invest in crypto through spot exchange-traded funds. That bill would open a channel the current regime blocks.

The 2030 delay proposal does not kill the tax. It pushes the effective date while the political debate plays out. If the repeal bill gains traction, the 2030 date becomes moot. If repeal stalls, the extension gives regulators three more years to prepare for collection.