{"id":1420,"date":"2026-06-27T02:45:58","date_gmt":"2026-06-27T02:45:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/crypto-asset-seizure-exchange-south-korea\/"},"modified":"2026-06-27T02:47:26","modified_gmt":"2026-06-27T02:47:26","slug":"crypto-asset-seizure-exchange-south-korea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/crypto-asset-seizure-exchange-south-korea\/","title":{"rendered":"Can You Seize Bitcoin in South Korea? Crypto Asset Enforcement"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><!-- ATLAS_HREFLANG_START -->\n<link rel=\"alternate\" hreflang=\"ko\" href=\"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/kr-blog\/crypto-asset-seizure-exchange-kr\/\" \/>\n<link rel=\"alternate\" hreflang=\"en\" href=\"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/crypto-asset-seizure-exchange-south-korea\/\" \/>\n<link rel=\"alternate\" hreflang=\"x-default\" href=\"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/kr-blog\/crypto-asset-seizure-exchange-kr\/\" \/>\n<!-- ATLAS_HREFLANG_END --><\/p>\n<p><!-- ATLAS_SEO_BLOCK_START --><br \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/crypto-asset-seizure-exchange-south-korea\/#article\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/crypto-asset-seizure-exchange-south-korea\/#webpage\"},\"headline\":\"Can You Seize Bitcoin in South Korea? Enforcing Against Crypto Assets Held on an Exchange\",\"description\":\"In South Korea, virtual assets can be the target of compulsory enforcement. This guide explains how courts attach a debtor's withdrawal claim against an exchange under Article 251 of the Civil Execution Act, why exchanges and their banks are both named as third-party debtors, and how seized crypto is converted to cash.\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-27T09:00:00+09:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-27T09:00:00+09:00\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"author\":{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/soyoung-park\/#person\",\"name\":\"Soyoung Park\",\"alternateName\":\"\ubc15\uc18c\uc601\",\"jobTitle\":\"Representative Attorney\",\"worksFor\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/#legalservice\"}},\"publisher\":{\"@type\":\"LegalService\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/#legalservice\",\"name\":\"Atlas Legal\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\"},\"about\":[\"property status of virtual assets under South Korean law\",\"Supreme Court of Korea May 30 2018 2018Do3619\",\"attachment of a crypto withdrawal claim under Article 251 of the Korean Civil Execution Act\",\"naming a cryptocurrency exchange as a third-party debtor in South Korea\",\"delivery order and special realization under Articles 243 and 241 of the Civil Execution Act\"]}<\/script><br \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/crypto-asset-seizure-exchange-south-korea\/#faqpage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Can virtual assets be the target of compulsory enforcement in South Korea?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes. The Supreme Court of Korea held that Bitcoin is an intangible asset with property value that can be subject to confiscation (Supreme Court of Korea, May 30, 2018, 2018Do3619), establishing that virtual assets are property rights capable of enforcement. That ruling was a criminal confiscation case, however, so it did not decide the specific method of civil enforcement.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"When you seize crypto, what exactly are you attaching?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"For coins held on an exchange, you do not attach the coin itself but the debtor's withdrawal claim against the exchange (the contractual right to have the coins transferred out). This falls under Article 251 of the Civil Execution Act, which governs enforcement against other property rights. Coins held in the debtor's own private wallet have no third-party debtor and are very difficult to reach this way.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why are the exchange and its partner bank both named as third-party debtors?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"An exchange account holds not only coins (a delivery-type withdrawal claim) but also a separate monetary claim for the Korean won deposit. The won deposit can be turned into cash directly through an ordinary attachment and collection order (Article 223 of the Civil Execution Act), so creditors name both the exchange and its real-name partner bank to capture every recoverable asset.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Can seized crypto be converted to cash right away?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Not immediately. A withdrawal claim for coins is a delivery claim, not a monetary claim, so an ordinary collection order alone will not satisfy the creditor. In practice a court applies Article 243 of the Civil Execution Act by analogy to issue a delivery order securing the coins, then realizes them through the special realization method (sale) under Article 241. Practice varies by court.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"If the debtor keeps coins in a private wallet, is seizure impossible?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Coins held in a cold wallet whose private key the debtor controls have no third-party debtor to comply with an attachment, so enforcement is practically very difficult. The key is to move quickly at the preservation stage and provisionally attach the exchange withdrawal claim before the debtor transfers the coins out to a private wallet.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What should foreign companies and investors in the IFEZ keep in mind?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Foreign creditors enforcing in South Korea, including companies in the Incheon Free Economic Zone (Songdo, Cheongna, and Yeongjong), should identify which exchange the debtor uses and freeze the withdrawal claim early. Because the framework resembles garnishing an exchange as the functional equivalent of a bank, a recovery strategy should sequence provisional attachment, the main action, and special realization from the outset.\"}}]}<\/script><br \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":[\"LegalService\",\"LocalBusiness\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/#legalservice\",\"name\":\"Atlas Legal\",\"alternateName\":[\"\ubc95\ubb34\ubc95\uc778 \uc544\ud2c0\ub77c\uc2a4\",\"Atlas Law Firm\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en\/home-en\/\",\"telephone\":\"+82-32-864-8300\",\"email\":\"info@atlaw.kr\",\"priceRange\":\"$$$\",\"address\":{\"@type\":\"PostalAddress\",\"streetAddress\":\"B-2901, 323 Incheon Tower-daero\",\"addressLocality\":\"Yeonsu-gu, Incheon\",\"addressRegion\":\"Incheon Metropolitan City\",\"postalCode\":\"22007\",\"addressCountry\":\"KR\"},\"geo\":{\"@type\":\"GeoCoordinates\",\"latitude\":37.399438,\"longitude\":126.629812},\"openingHoursSpecification\":[{\"@type\":\"OpeningHoursSpecification\",\"dayOfWeek\":[\"Monday\",\"Tuesday\",\"Wednesday\",\"Thursday\",\"Friday\"],\"opens\":\"09:00\",\"closes\":\"18:00\"}],\"areaServed\":[{\"@type\":\"Country\",\"name\":\"South Korea\"},{\"@type\":\"Place\",\"name\":\"Songdo International Business District\"},{\"@type\":\"Place\",\"name\":\"Cheongna International City\"},{\"@type\":\"Place\",\"name\":\"Yeongjong International City\"},{\"@type\":\"Place\",\"name\":\"Incheon\"},{\"@type\":\"Place\",\"name\":\"Seoul Metropolitan Area\"},{\"@type\":\"Place\",\"name\":\"Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ)\"}],\"knowsAbout\":[\"Crypto Asset Enforcement in South Korea\",\"Virtual Asset Seizure under the Korean Civil Execution Act\",\"Debt Collection and Judgment Enforcement in South Korea\",\"Cryptocurrency Exchange Garnishment in South Korea\",\"Asset Recovery Litigation in the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ)\"],\"serviceType\":[\"Judgment Enforcement and Debt Collection\",\"Asset Tracing and Recovery\",\"Provisional Attachment and Injunctions\",\"Cross-Border Dispute Resolution\",\"Foreign Direct Investment Legal Services\"]}<\/script><br \/>\n<!-- ATLAS_SEO_BLOCK_END --><\/p>\n<style>@import url('https:\/\/cdn.jsdelivr.net\/gh\/orioncactus\/pretendard@v1.3.9\/dist\/web\/static\/pretendard.css'); \/* \u2500\u2500 Kadence \ud14c\ub9c8 \ucee8\ud150\uce20 \ud3ed override \u2500\u2500 *\/ :root { --global-content-narrow-width: 1290px !important; } .entry-content-wrap { max-width: 1290px !important; } .entry-content { margin-top: 0 !important; } *, *::before, *::after { box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0; padding: 0; } :root { --navy: #0a2540; --navy2: #1a3353; --wine: #722f37; --text: #1a1f36; --muted: #697386; --rule: #e3e8ee; } body { font-family: 'Pretendard', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Apple SD Gothic Neo', sans-serif; background: #fff; color: var(--text); font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.82; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; } \/* \u2500\u2500 \ud788\uc5b4\ub85c \u2500\u2500 *\/ .hero { max-width: 1000px; margin: 0 auto; padding: 72px 48px 48px; text-align: center; } .category-tag { font-size: 11px; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 1.5px; text-transform: uppercase; color: var(--wine); display: block; margin-bottom: 20px; } .hero-title { font-size: 44px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 1.22; color: var(--navy); margin-bottom: 28px; word-break: keep-all; } .hero-meta { display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; gap: 12px; padding-bottom: 40px; border-bottom: 1px solid var(--rule); } .hero-info { font-size: 13.5px; color: var(--text); line-height: 1.4; } .hero-info strong { color: var(--text); font-weight: 500; } \/* \u2500\u2500 \uc989\uc2dc \ub2f5\ubcc0 \ubc15\uc2a4 \u2500\u2500 *\/ .direct-answer { background: #f6f9fc; border-left: 4px solid var(--navy); border-radius: 0; padding: 20px 24px; margin: 32px 0 40px; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.75; color: var(--text); } \/* \u2500\u2500 \ubcf8\ubb38 \u2500\u2500 *\/ .content { max-width: 1000px; margin: 0 auto; padding: 52px 48px 100px; } \/* \ubaa9\ucc28 *\/ .toc-nav { margin-bottom: 60px; border: 1px solid #d0d5dd; border-radius: 6px; padding: 28px 32px; } .toc-label { font-size: 20px; font-weight: 700; color: var(--navy); margin-bottom: 14px; } .toc-nav ol { list-style: none; padding-left: 0; } .toc-nav ol li { display: flex; gap: 14px; align-items: baseline; padding: 6px 0; font-size: 17px; } .toc-nav ol li::before { content: none; } .toc-nav ol li a { color: var(--text); text-decoration: none; font-weight: 400; } .toc-nav ol li a:hover { color: var(--wine); } \/* \ub9ac\ub4dc\u00b7\uc694\uc57d\u00b7\ucee8\ud14d\uc2a4\ud2b8 \ud14d\uc2a4\ud2b8 *\/ .lead-text { font-size: 20px; font-weight: 400; color: var(--text); line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 24px; } .summary-text { font-size: 18px; color: var(--text); line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 20px; } .context-text { font-size: 17px; color: var(--text); line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 52px; } \/* \u2500\u2500 \uc81c\ubaa9 \u2500\u2500 *\/ h2 { font-size: 30px; font-weight: 700; color: var(--wine); margin: 68px 0 16px; word-break: keep-all; } h3 { font-size: 17px; font-weight: 700; color: var(--wine); margin: 38px 0 10px; } p { font-size: 18px; color: var(--text); line-height: 1.82; margin-bottom: 18px; } \/* \ud45c *\/ table { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin: 24px 0; font-size: 14px; } thead tr { background: #fff; } th { color: var(--navy); font-weight: 600; padding: 11px 16px; text-align: left; font-size: 16px; border-bottom: 2px solid var(--navy); } td { padding: 12px 16px; border-bottom: 1px solid var(--rule); color: var(--text); font-size: 16px; } tbody tr:hover { background: #f6f9fc; } \/* \ubd88\ub9bf \ub9ac\uc2a4\ud2b8 *\/ ul, ol:not(.toc-nav ol) { padding-left: 20px; margin-bottom: 16px; } li { font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.78; margin-bottom: 6px; color: var(--text); } \/* FAQ *\/ .faq-item { border-top: 1px solid var(--rule); padding: 22px 0; } .faq-item:last-of-type { border-bottom: 1px solid var(--rule); } .faq-q { font-size: 17px; font-weight: 600; color: var(--navy); margin-bottom: 8px !important; } .faq-item p:not(.faq-q) { font-size: 17px; color: var(--text); margin: 0; line-height: 1.75; } \/* \ub9c8\ubb34\ub9ac \ubb38\uc7a5 *\/ p.closing { font-size: 15.5px; color: var(--text); margin: 40px 0 0; padding-top: 32px; border-top: 1px solid var(--rule); } \/* \uc800\uc790 \ubc15\uc2a4 *\/ .author-box { display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 14px; padding-top: 40px; margin-top: 40px; border-top: 1px solid var(--rule); } .author-avatar { width: 56px; height: 56px; border-radius: 50%; object-fit: cover; flex-shrink: 0; align-self: flex-start; } .author-text { flex: 1; } .author-name { font-size: 18px; font-weight: 600; color: var(--navy); } .author-meta { font-size: 13px; color: var(--text); margin-top: 2px; } .author-link { display: inline-block; margin-top: 8px; font-size: 15px; font-weight: 600; color: var(--wine); text-decoration: none; } .author-link:hover { text-decoration: underline; } .author-section-label { font-size: 15px; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 1px; text-transform: uppercase; color: var(--muted); margin-bottom: 8px; } .author-detail { font-size: 16px; color: var(--text); line-height: 1.7; margin-bottom: 1px; } @media (max-width: 640px) { body { font-size: 15px; } p { font-size: 15px; } li { font-size: 15px; } .hero { padding: 32px 14px 24px; } .hero-title { font-size: 22px; } .hero-info { font-size: 12px; } .content { padding: 28px 0 60px; } .toc-nav { margin-left: -14px; margin-right: -14px; border-radius: 0; border-left: none; border-right: none; padding: 12px 4px; margin-bottom: 28px; } .toc-label { font-size: 16px; } .toc-nav ol li { font-size: 14px; padding: 3px 0; } h2 { font-size: 20px; margin: 44px 0 10px; } h3 { font-size: 15px; margin: 24px 0 8px; } .lead-text { font-size: 16px; } .summary-text { font-size: 15px; } .context-text { font-size: 14px; } th { font-size: 13px; padding: 8px 10px; } td { font-size: 13px; padding: 8px 10px; } .faq-q { font-size: 14px; } .faq-item p:not(.faq-q) { font-size: 14px; } .author-box { display: block; overflow: hidden; } .author-avatar { float: left; width: 36px; height: 36px; margin-right: 10px; border-radius: 50%; } .author-section-label { display: inline; font-size: 11px; letter-spacing: 0; margin: 0 3px 0 0; } .author-name { display: inline; font-size: 14px; } .author-detail { clear: both; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.55; margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 1px; } .author-detail ~ .author-detail { clear: none; margin-top: 2px; } .author-link { clear: both; display: block; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 8px; } p.closing { font-size: 14px; } }<\/style>\n<div class=\"hero\">\n  <span class=\"category-tag\">Enforcement &amp; Debt Collection<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"hero-title\">Can You Seize Bitcoin in South Korea?<br \/>Enforcing Against Crypto Assets Held on an Exchange<\/div>\n<div class=\"hero-meta\">\n<div class=\"hero-info\">\n      <strong>Soyoung Park<\/strong> \u00b7 Representative Attorney, Atlas Legal<br \/>\n      Supreme Court of Korea, May 30, 2018, 2018Do3619 &nbsp;\u00b7&nbsp; Seoul Northern District Court, Feb. 12, 2026, 2024Gahap22393\n    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<div class=\"direct-answer\">\n    <strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> In South Korea, virtual assets can be subject to compulsory enforcement. What you attach is not the coin itself but the debtor&#8217;s <strong>withdrawal claim against the exchange<\/strong>, under Article 251 of the Civil Execution Act (enforcement against &#8220;other property rights&#8221;). The Supreme Court of Korea recognized Bitcoin as &#8220;an intangible asset with property value&#8221; (Supreme Court of Korea, May 30, 2018, 2018Do3619), and in practice the exchange and its partner bank are named together as third-party debtors.\n  <\/div>\n<div class=\"toc-nav\">\n<p class=\"toc-label\">Contents<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#sec-1\">1. Can virtual assets be seized in South Korea?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#sec-2\">2. What exactly are you attaching \u2014 the coin or the withdrawal claim?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#sec-3\">3. Why name both the exchange and its partner bank as third-party debtors?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#sec-4\">4. How is seized crypto converted to cash?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#sec-5\">5. Are there actual cases of seizing crypto on an exchange?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#sec-6\">6. Can crypto in a private (cold) wallet be seized?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#sec-7\">7. What should foreign companies and investors in the IFEZ keep in mind?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#sec-faq\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol><\/div>\n<p class=\"lead-text\">You finally won your judgment in South Korea, but when you search the debtor&#8217;s assets there is no real estate and no bank balance \u2014 only a few Bitcoin sitting in an exchange account. Someone tells you &#8220;crypto can&#8217;t be seized.&#8221; Should you give up? The short answer: under South Korean law, virtual assets are a legitimate enforcement target.<\/p>\n<p class=\"context-text\">Enforcing against crypto differs from attaching real estate or a bank deposit: the key is identifying <em>which right<\/em> you capture and <em>how<\/em>. You do not grab the coin directly \u2014 you attach a claim the debtor holds against the exchange, and then a separate step is needed to turn that claim into cash. Atlas Legal has organized the structure of crypto asset enforcement in South Korea, the actual cases, and the practical limits \u2014 with particular attention to foreign creditors operating in the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ).<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"sec-1\">1. Can virtual assets be seized in South Korea?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"summary-text\">Yes. Once the Supreme Court of Korea recognized Bitcoin as &#8220;an intangible asset with property value,&#8221; virtual assets became property rights capable of compulsory enforcement.<\/p>\n<p>In a case involving the confiscation of Bitcoin received as proceeds of an illegal website, the Supreme Court of Korea held that Bitcoin qualifies as <strong>&#8220;an intangible asset with property value that can be transferred, stored, and traded electronically&#8221;<\/strong> and is therefore subject to confiscation (Supreme Court of Korea, May 30, 2018, 2018Do3619). The ruling confirmed that a virtual asset is not mere data but a legally protected property right.<\/p>\n<p>One caveat: that case concerned criminal confiscation. It laid the <strong>foundation of property status<\/strong> \u2014 that crypto can be an enforcement target \u2014 but it did not decide how, in civil enforcement, a coin is actually attached and realized. That methodology is left to applying the general principles of the Civil Execution Act to virtual assets.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"sec-2\">2. What exactly are you attaching \u2014 the coin or the withdrawal claim?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"summary-text\">For coins held on an exchange, you attach not the coin itself but the debtor&#8217;s &#8220;withdrawal claim&#8221; against the exchange \u2014 the contractual right to have the coins transferred out. This falls under Article 251 of the Civil Execution Act, governing enforcement against &#8220;other property rights.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>A user who deposits coins with an exchange does not directly control the on-chain asset; instead the user holds a contractual right to demand that the exchange transfer (withdraw) the coins. Enforcement targets exactly this <strong>withdrawal claim<\/strong>. Because that right does not fit neatly into real estate, tangible movables, or a monetary claim, it is attached under <strong>Article 251 of the Civil Execution Act (enforcement against &#8220;other property rights&#8221;)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Understanding this structure dispels the myth that &#8220;crypto can&#8217;t be seized.&#8221; The court does not seal the digital asset directly; it treats the exchange that custodies and manages the coins as a third-party debtor and freezes the debtor&#8217;s claim \u2014 preventing the exchange from releasing the coins to the debtor.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"sec-3\">3. Why name both the exchange and its partner bank as third-party debtors?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"summary-text\">An exchange account holds not only coins (a withdrawal claim) but also a separate monetary claim for the Korean won deposit. The two rights are attached and realized differently, so in practice the exchange and its partner bank are named together.<\/p>\n<p>A user&#8217;s assets on an exchange fall into two streams. One is the withdrawal claim for the coins themselves (a delivery-type claim); the other is the claim for the Korean won deposit charged up for trading (a monetary claim). The won deposit can be turned into cash directly through an ordinary <strong>attachment and collection or assignment order (Article 223 et seq. of the Civil Execution Act)<\/strong>. The coin withdrawal claim, as we will see, needs a separate realization step.<\/p>\n<p>That is why a creditor names both the exchange (coins and won deposit) and the exchange&#8217;s real-name partner bank (the verified deposit-and-withdrawal account) as third-party debtors, freezing every recoverable asset.<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Category<\/th>\n<th>Coins held on the exchange<\/th>\n<th>Korean won deposit on the exchange<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Nature of the right<\/td>\n<td>Crypto withdrawal claim (delivery claim)<\/td>\n<td>Deposit refund claim (monetary claim)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Basis for attachment<\/td>\n<td>Civil Execution Act Art. 251 (other property rights)<\/td>\n<td>Civil Execution Act Art. 223 (monetary claim)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Realization method<\/td>\n<td>Delivery order (Art. 243 by analogy) + special realization (Art. 241)<\/td>\n<td>Collection \/ assignment order \u2014 direct to cash<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Third-party debtor<\/td>\n<td>Exchange (Dunamu, Bithumb, Coinone, etc.)<\/td>\n<td>Exchange + partner bank<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"sec-4\">4. How is seized crypto converted to cash?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"summary-text\">A coin withdrawal claim is a delivery claim, not a monetary claim, so an ordinary collection order alone will not satisfy the creditor. In practice, a court secures the coins through a delivery order and then realizes them through a special realization method (sale).<\/p>\n<p>With a monetary claim, a collection order is enough: you collect from the third-party debtor and apply it to the debt. But a coin withdrawal claim says &#8220;deliver the coins,&#8221; not &#8220;pay money,&#8221; so a collection order alone leaves the creditor short. Two further steps follow.<\/p>\n<p>First, the court applies <strong>Article 243 of the Civil Execution Act by analogy<\/strong> \u2014 the provision on enforcing claims for delivery of tangible movables \u2014 to issue a delivery order requiring the exchange to hand the coins it custodies to the execution officer. Second, the officer realizes the secured coins through the <strong>special realization method (sale, etc.) under Article 241 of the Civil Execution Act<\/strong> and distributes the proceeds. In short: attach, deliver, then sell to realize.<\/p>\n<p>Practice varies by court, and because crypto prices swing sharply, disputes can arise over the timing and method of sale. That is why it matters to design the application with the delivery order and special realization in mind from the start.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"sec-5\">5. Are there actual cases of seizing crypto on an exchange?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"summary-text\">Yes. Courts have actually issued (provisional) attachment orders naming an exchange as third-party debtor, and in at least one matter enforcement proceeded all the way to realization. That said, no published Supreme Court decision yet confirms recovery completed purely by collecting on exchange-held coins.<\/p>\n<p><strong>(1) Provisional attachment of a withdrawal claim (Upbit matter)<\/strong> \u2014 A court issued a provisional attachment order targeting a debtor&#8217;s crypto withdrawal claim arising from the debtor&#8217;s electronic wallet on the exchange. The provisional attachment was later canceled for insufficient proof of the underlying claim, but that was a question of the merits of the right \u2014 the <strong>eligibility of the withdrawal claim for attachment itself was recognized<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>(2) Delivery order plus special realization (Coinrail hacking case)<\/strong> \u2014 After a victim of an exchange hack won on the merits, the victim attached the return claim for roughly 1,360 Ether that investigators had seized. The Seoul Central District Court applied Article 243(1) of the Civil Execution Act by analogy, issued a delivery order to &#8220;hand over to the execution officer,&#8221; and proceeded to special realization. Note this was a <strong>variation<\/strong> \u2014 attachment of a return claim against seized evidence held by investigators, not coins custodied by the exchange.<\/p>\n<p><strong>(3) Tax authority collection<\/strong> \u2014 Though not civil enforcement, when the tax authority attached a high-value delinquent taxpayer&#8217;s exchange account (withdrawal claim), the taxpayer immediately paid in cash. It illustrates how effective an attachment naming an exchange as third-party debtor can be as leverage.<\/p>\n<p><strong>(4) Delivery-plus-substitute-value judgment<\/strong> \u2014 Where an exchange system error wrongly credited about KRW 20 billion in virtual assets (USDT), a court ordered the defendant to &#8220;deliver 1,739,236 USDT, and if compulsory enforcement is impossible, pay the equivalent converted at KRW 1,466 per unit,&#8221; and the judgment became final (Seoul Northern District Court, Feb. 12, 2026, 2024Gahap22393). It built both in-kind delivery and a substitute monetary value (compensation in lieu) into the judgment.<\/p>\n<p>In sum, (provisional) attachment orders naming an exchange as third-party debtor are in fact being issued, but no published Supreme Court decision yet runs the full course of &#8220;exchange-held coins \u2192 exchange as third-party debtor \u2192 satisfaction by collection.&#8221; Current practice fills that gap with attachment of the Korean won deposit at the partner bank and a special realization order.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"sec-6\">6. Can crypto in a private (cold) wallet be seized?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"summary-text\">In practice it is very difficult. Coins held in a cold wallet whose private key the debtor controls have no third-party debtor to comply with an attachment. That makes a swift freeze at the preservation stage decisive.<\/p>\n<p>Coins on an exchange can be seized because there is a third-party debtor \u2014 the exchange \u2014 that manages them. But once the debtor moves coins to a personal wallet and holds the private key, there is no third-party debtor who can be ordered to release them. Even if the court issues an attachment order, there is no counterpart to enforce it against.<\/p>\n<p>The success of crypto recovery therefore turns on <strong>how quickly you provisionally attach the exchange withdrawal claim before the debtor siphons the coins into a private wallet<\/strong>. If the assets leak out while you wait for the main judgment, recovery becomes impossible \u2014 so freezing the assets first with a preliminary measure, then pursuing the main action and realization, is the order that matters most.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"sec-7\">7. What should foreign companies and investors in the IFEZ keep in mind?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"summary-text\">Foreign creditors enforcing in South Korea \u2014 including companies and investors in the Incheon Free Economic Zone \u2014 should identify the debtor&#8217;s exchange and freeze the withdrawal claim early. The framework resembles garnishing an exchange as the functional equivalent of a bank.<\/p>\n<p>The Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) \u2014 comprising <strong>Songdo International Business District, Cheongna International City, and Yeongjong International City<\/strong> \u2014 hosts many foreign-invested companies, and cross-border debt recovery increasingly involves crypto. For a foreign creditor with a Korean judgment or a judgment to be recognized and enforced in South Korea, the practical steps mirror the domestic structure above: identify which exchange holds the debtor&#8217;s assets, then name the exchange and its partner bank as third-party debtors.<\/p>\n<p>The approach will feel familiar to those used to common-law practice. In the United States, courts treat an exchange as the functional equivalent of a bank and serve a <strong>writ of garnishment<\/strong> on it, so that the exchange freezes the account and converts the coins to dollars; coins held on Coinbase or Kraken have been treated as intangible personal property subject to garnishment, and recoveries of around USD 12,000 have been reported. Open questions remain there too \u2014 for example, whether a court of one state has in-rem jurisdiction over an exchange headquartered elsewhere. The common thread, in both systems, is to identify the debtor&#8217;s assets and bind the exchange as a third-party debtor before the coins move beyond reach.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"sec-faq\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n<div class=\"faq-item\">\n<p class=\"faq-q\">Q. Can virtual assets be the target of compulsory enforcement in South Korea?<\/p>\n<p>Yes. The Supreme Court of Korea held that Bitcoin is an intangible asset with property value that can be subject to confiscation (Supreme Court of Korea, May 30, 2018, 2018Do3619), establishing that virtual assets are property rights capable of enforcement. That ruling was a criminal confiscation case, however, so it did not decide the specific method of civil enforcement.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-item\">\n<p class=\"faq-q\">Q. When you seize crypto, what exactly are you attaching?<\/p>\n<p>For coins held on an exchange, you do not attach the coin itself but the debtor&#8217;s withdrawal claim against the exchange (the contractual right to have the coins transferred out). This falls under Article 251 of the Civil Execution Act, which governs enforcement against other property rights. Coins held in the debtor&#8217;s own private wallet have no third-party debtor and are very difficult to reach this way.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-item\">\n<p class=\"faq-q\">Q. Why are the exchange and its partner bank both named as third-party debtors?<\/p>\n<p>An exchange account holds not only coins (a delivery-type withdrawal claim) but also a separate monetary claim for the Korean won deposit. The won deposit can be turned into cash directly through an ordinary attachment and collection order (Article 223 of the Civil Execution Act), so creditors name both the exchange and its real-name partner bank to capture every recoverable asset.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-item\">\n<p class=\"faq-q\">Q. Can seized crypto be converted to cash right away?<\/p>\n<p>Not immediately. A withdrawal claim for coins is a delivery claim, not a monetary claim, so an ordinary collection order alone will not satisfy the creditor. In practice a court applies Article 243 of the Civil Execution Act by analogy to issue a delivery order securing the coins, then realizes them through the special realization method (sale) under Article 241. Practice varies by court.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-item\">\n<p class=\"faq-q\">Q. If the debtor keeps coins in a private wallet, is seizure impossible?<\/p>\n<p>Coins held in a cold wallet whose private key the debtor controls have no third-party debtor to comply with an attachment, so enforcement is practically very difficult. The key is to move quickly at the preservation stage and provisionally attach the exchange withdrawal claim before the debtor transfers the coins out to a private wallet.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-item\">\n<p class=\"faq-q\">Q. What should foreign companies and investors in the IFEZ keep in mind?<\/p>\n<p>Foreign creditors enforcing in South Korea, including companies in the Incheon Free Economic Zone (Songdo, Cheongna, and Yeongjong), should identify which exchange the debtor uses and freeze the withdrawal claim early. Because the framework resembles garnishing an exchange as the functional equivalent of a bank, a recovery strategy should sequence provisional attachment, the main action, and special realization from the outset.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-box\">\n    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-avatar\" src=\"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/\ubc15\uc18c\uc601-1.png\" alt=\"Soyoung Park, Representative Attorney \u2014 Atlas Legal\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"author-text\">\n<div class=\"author-section-label\">About the Author<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-name\">Soyoung Park | Representative Attorney<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-detail\">Family Law, Inheritance, Construction &amp; Real Estate Disputes<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-detail\">Judicial Research and Training Institute, 33rd Class<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-detail\">Korea University, Department of Law<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-detail\">Atlas Legal | Incheon Songdo, South Korea<\/div>\n<p>      <a class=\"author-link\" href=\"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Visit Atlas Legal Homepage \u2192<\/a>\n    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Enforcement &amp; Debt Collection Can You Seize Bitcoin in South Korea?Enforcing Against Crypto Assets Held on an Exchange Soyoung Park \u00b7 Representative Attorney, Atlas Legal Supreme Court of Korea, May 30, 2018, 2018Do3619 &nbsp;\u00b7&nbsp; Seoul Northern District Court, Feb. 12, 2026, 2024Gahap22393 Quick answer: In South Korea, virtual assets can be subject to compulsory enforcement&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[223],"tags":[794,793,796,797,795],"class_list":["post-1420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-corporate-disputes","tag-bitcoin-seizure-south-korea","tag-crypto-asset-enforcement-korea","tag-exchange-third-party-debtor","tag-korean-civil-execution-act","tag-virtual-asset-garnishment"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Can You Seize Bitcoin in South Korea? Crypto Asset Enforcement | Atlas Legal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Can a creditor seize Bitcoin in South Korea? Learn how Korean courts attach a debtor&#039;s withdrawal claim against an exchange under the Civil Execution Act, why exchanges and their banks are both named as third-party debtors, and how seized crypto is converted to cash.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/crypto-asset-seizure-exchange-south-korea\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"ko_KR\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Can You Seize Bitcoin in South Korea? Crypto Asset Enforcement | Atlas Legal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Can a creditor seize Bitcoin in South Korea? Learn how Korean courts attach a debtor&#039;s withdrawal claim against an exchange under the Civil Execution Act, why exchanges and their banks are both named as third-party debtors, and how seized crypto is converted to cash.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/crypto-asset-seizure-exchange-south-korea\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Atlas Legal Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-27T02:45:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-06-27T02:47:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"\ubc95\ubb34\ubc95\uc778 \uc544\ud2c0\ub77c\uc2a4\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"\uae00\uc4f4\uc774\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"\ubc95\ubb34\ubc95\uc778 \uc544\ud2c0\ub77c\uc2a4\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"\uc608\uc0c1 \ub418\ub294 \ud310\ub3c5 \uc2dc\uac04\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"12\ubd84\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/crypto-asset-seizure-exchange-south-korea\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/crypto-asset-seizure-exchange-south-korea\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"\ubc95\ubb34\ubc95\uc778 \uc544\ud2c0\ub77c\uc2a4\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/184bcdecc06f89fd6c36b29781165b55\"},\"headline\":\"Can You Seize Bitcoin in South Korea? Crypto Asset Enforcement\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-27T02:45:58+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-27T02:47:26+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/crypto-asset-seizure-exchange-south-korea\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2382,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"Bitcoin seizure South Korea\",\"crypto asset enforcement Korea\",\"exchange third-party debtor\",\"Korean Civil Execution Act\",\"virtual asset garnishment\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Corporate Disputes\"],\"inLanguage\":\"ko-KR\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/crypto-asset-seizure-exchange-south-korea\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/crypto-asset-seizure-exchange-south-korea\\\/\",\"name\":\"Can You Seize Bitcoin in South Korea? Crypto Asset Enforcement | Atlas Legal\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-27T02:45:58+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-27T02:47:26+00:00\",\"description\":\"Can a creditor seize Bitcoin in South Korea? Learn how Korean courts attach a debtor's withdrawal claim against an exchange under the Civil Execution Act, why exchanges and their banks are both named as third-party debtors, and how seized crypto is converted to cash.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/crypto-asset-seizure-exchange-south-korea\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"ko-KR\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/crypto-asset-seizure-exchange-south-korea\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/crypto-asset-seizure-exchange-south-korea\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"\ud648\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Can You Seize Bitcoin in South Korea? Crypto Asset Enforcement\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Atlas Legal English Blog\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"ko-KR\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Atlas Legal English Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"ko-KR\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/\ud3f4\ub354-\uc0c1\ub2e8-\uc9c1\uc0ac\uac01\ud615.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/\ud3f4\ub354-\uc0c1\ub2e8-\uc9c1\uc0ac\uac01\ud615.png\",\"width\":540,\"height\":485,\"caption\":\"Atlas Legal English Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/184bcdecc06f89fd6c36b29781165b55\",\"name\":\"\ubc95\ubb34\ubc95\uc778 \uc544\ud2c0\ub77c\uc2a4\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"ko-KR\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f03bca99acfafded0c4fa1b01dee8839b10f831ccba39db4d9dc175f44d3d640?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f03bca99acfafded0c4fa1b01dee8839b10f831ccba39db4d9dc175f44d3d640?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f03bca99acfafded0c4fa1b01dee8839b10f831ccba39db4d9dc175f44d3d640?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"\ubc95\ubb34\ubc95\uc778 \uc544\ud2c0\ub77c\uc2a4\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/author\\\/prinz001\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Can You Seize Bitcoin in South Korea? Crypto Asset Enforcement | Atlas Legal","description":"Can a creditor seize Bitcoin in South Korea? Learn how Korean courts attach a debtor's withdrawal claim against an exchange under the Civil Execution Act, why exchanges and their banks are both named as third-party debtors, and how seized crypto is converted to cash.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/crypto-asset-seizure-exchange-south-korea\/","og_locale":"ko_KR","og_type":"article","og_title":"Can You Seize Bitcoin in South Korea? Crypto Asset Enforcement | Atlas Legal","og_description":"Can a creditor seize Bitcoin in South Korea? Learn how Korean courts attach a debtor's withdrawal claim against an exchange under the Civil Execution Act, why exchanges and their banks are both named as third-party debtors, and how seized crypto is converted to cash.","og_url":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/crypto-asset-seizure-exchange-south-korea\/","og_site_name":"Atlas Legal Blog","article_published_time":"2026-06-27T02:45:58+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-06-27T02:47:26+00:00","author":"\ubc95\ubb34\ubc95\uc778 \uc544\ud2c0\ub77c\uc2a4","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"\uae00\uc4f4\uc774":"\ubc95\ubb34\ubc95\uc778 \uc544\ud2c0\ub77c\uc2a4","\uc608\uc0c1 \ub418\ub294 \ud310\ub3c5 \uc2dc\uac04":"12\ubd84"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/crypto-asset-seizure-exchange-south-korea\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/crypto-asset-seizure-exchange-south-korea\/"},"author":{"name":"\ubc95\ubb34\ubc95\uc778 \uc544\ud2c0\ub77c\uc2a4","@id":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/184bcdecc06f89fd6c36b29781165b55"},"headline":"Can You Seize Bitcoin in South Korea? Crypto Asset Enforcement","datePublished":"2026-06-27T02:45:58+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-27T02:47:26+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/crypto-asset-seizure-exchange-south-korea\/"},"wordCount":2382,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/#organization"},"keywords":["Bitcoin seizure South Korea","crypto asset enforcement Korea","exchange third-party debtor","Korean Civil Execution Act","virtual asset garnishment"],"articleSection":["Corporate Disputes"],"inLanguage":"ko-KR"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/crypto-asset-seizure-exchange-south-korea\/","url":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/crypto-asset-seizure-exchange-south-korea\/","name":"Can You Seize Bitcoin in South Korea? Crypto Asset Enforcement | Atlas Legal","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2026-06-27T02:45:58+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-27T02:47:26+00:00","description":"Can a creditor seize Bitcoin in South Korea? Learn how Korean courts attach a debtor's withdrawal claim against an exchange under the Civil Execution Act, why exchanges and their banks are both named as third-party debtors, and how seized crypto is converted to cash.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/crypto-asset-seizure-exchange-south-korea\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"ko-KR","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/crypto-asset-seizure-exchange-south-korea\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/crypto-asset-seizure-exchange-south-korea\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"\ud648","item":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Can You Seize Bitcoin in South Korea? Crypto Asset Enforcement"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/","name":"Atlas Legal English Blog","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"ko-KR"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/#organization","name":"Atlas Legal English Blog","url":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"ko-KR","@id":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/09\/\ud3f4\ub354-\uc0c1\ub2e8-\uc9c1\uc0ac\uac01\ud615.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/09\/\ud3f4\ub354-\uc0c1\ub2e8-\uc9c1\uc0ac\uac01\ud615.png","width":540,"height":485,"caption":"Atlas Legal English Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/184bcdecc06f89fd6c36b29781165b55","name":"\ubc95\ubb34\ubc95\uc778 \uc544\ud2c0\ub77c\uc2a4","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"ko-KR","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f03bca99acfafded0c4fa1b01dee8839b10f831ccba39db4d9dc175f44d3d640?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f03bca99acfafded0c4fa1b01dee8839b10f831ccba39db4d9dc175f44d3d640?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f03bca99acfafded0c4fa1b01dee8839b10f831ccba39db4d9dc175f44d3d640?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"\ubc95\ubb34\ubc95\uc778 \uc544\ud2c0\ub77c\uc2a4"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/atlaw.kr"],"url":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/author\/prinz001\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1420","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1420"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1420\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1421,"href":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1420\/revisions\/1421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}