Korean regulators face increasing pressure to approve cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs) following the recent approval of spot Ethereum ETFs by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Local media reports suggest that the SEC’s decision on Ethereum could influence Seoul’s financial regulators to reconsider their approach to digital assets. The SEC approved the creation of ETFs for Ethereum, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency, on May 24, 2024, after previously greenlighting Bitcoin ETFs in January 2024. ETFs are financial instruments allowing investors to gain exposure to a basket of securities. Approving crypto ETFs is seen as a significant step in integrating