South Korean Traders Push Bitcoin Into Its Deepest Discount Since 2021

As bitcoin slipped to a 2026 low of $59,100, market data reveals that $BTC priced against the South Korean won has been changing hands at a discount. In fact, the Kimchi premium has vanished, and bitcoin has been trading below global market prices in South Korea for nearly a month.

Nearly a Month of Discounts Signals a Dramatic Shift in Korean Bitcoin Demand

For bitcoin pricing in South Korea, 2026 has delivered an unusual twist, with a substantial share of the year marked by pronounced discounts rather than the country’s customary premium. According to Cryptoquant metrics, the discount trend first emerged at the beginning of March and has persisted ever since, with the first week of June recording the deepest discount of the year.

Since May 13, 2026, bitcoin has traded at a discount in South Korea every day except May 19, marking a stretch of nearly 24 consecutive days. June 1 registered the deepest discount of 2026, as $BTC priced against the South Korean won (KRW) fell to a 3.1% discount. In fact, the last time the discount reached such levels was in February 2021, roughly five years and four months ago.

Upbit and Bithumb Price Bitcoin Nearly 3% Below the Rest of the World

On June 1, bitcoin changed hands at $70,767 globally, yet in South Korea, it was priced $2,193 lower, with local exchanges quoting the asset at roughly $68,573 per coin. Fast forward to 11:15 a.m. EDT on June 6, and while $BTC is trading near $60,608 worldwide, it is valued at $59,115 on Upbit, South Korea’s largest exchange by trading volume.

That places bitcoin at a 2.46% discount this weekend. Prices across other domestic cryptocurrency trading venues, including Bithumb, reflect a similar markdown relative to the global weighted average. Even so, both platforms rank among the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges.

Upbit, for instance, currently holds the third-largest position by trading volume globally, trailing only Binance and Coinbase. Bithumb also maintains a place among the industry’s leading venues, sitting in 19th place today. Upbit has recorded $1.21 billion in trading volume over the past 24 hours, while Bithumb has generated $749 million during the same period.

KOSPI’s AI-Fueled Rally May Be Draining Demand From Crypto Markets

Several factors may be feeding South Korea’s bitcoin discount. One explanation is softer domestic demand amid elevated market unease and recent price weakness. South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI index, the flagship measure of the Korea Exchange (KRX), for example, climbed to new all-time highs in early June 2026 before retreating sharply, with the entire advance fueled by an intense migration of capital into AI and semiconductor equities.

The KOSPI rally was largely driven by AI-focused memory and chip stocks, led by Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. SK Hynix reportedly climbed more than 1,000% over the previous year, while Samsung nearly quintupled, as booming demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and AI infrastructure chips drew substantial foreign and domestic investment into South Korea’s semiconductor sector.

Even after the June 5 pullback, the KOSPI remains higher by roughly 10% over the past month and nearly 186% from a year ago. While no single explanation fully accounts for the crypto divergence, the persistent bitcoin discount suggests local demand has trailed broader global market activity for an extended stretch.