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Lee Jae-myung just became the new president of South Korea—and he’s all in on crypto.
He beat his rival Kim Moon-soo with over 49% of the vote, a major win in a surprise election. Nearly 80% of voters showed up, the biggest turnout since 1997. That’s a lot of ballots.
Lee’s campaign was bold: he promised to let the national pension fund—worth $884 billion—invest in Bitcoin and other crypto. Yes, your retirement savings could one day moon.
He also backs Bitcoin ETFs. If that wasn’t enough, he wants a Korean won-backed stablecoin to keep money from fleeing the country. His words: “Let’s stop our wealth from leaking overseas.”
Prices on local exchanges like Bithumb and Upbit popped. Bitcoin even hit 149 million won, thanks to the infamous “kimchi premium.”
Meanwhile, Lee faces big challenges. The economy’s shaky, costs are up, and global tensions aren’t helping. He also wants to pump money into AI and defense, end political fights, and give workers a shorter workweek.
Whether crypto gets top priority is unclear—but South Korea’s future just got a lot more digital.
