South Korea’s Bitcoin ‘Kimchi Premium’ Returns

The reappearance of the Kimchi Premium signals a localized surge in retail demand, likely driven by sentiment shifts unique to South Korea's capital-controlled market. Its return matters because it can distort regional price discovery and widen arbitrage gaps, though those are hard to exploit due to regulatory friction. The key watchpoint is whether this premium persists or fades quickly, as its durability would reveal whether the interest is a short-term spike or a more sustained buildup in Asian retail activity.