The Seoul Central District Court has ordered GDAC to return $7.31 million in WEMIX token to CEO Park Kwan-ho, a significant legal victory for Wemade.
In a high-stakes dispute over WEMIX tokens, the Seoul Central District Court in South Korea has ruled in favor of Wemade CEO Park Kwan-ho. The court ordered the defunct virtual asset exchange GDAC to return over $7 million tokens. This order illuminates the critical issues of investor protection, regulatory compliance, and exchange operations in the volatile world of digital assets.
Court Decision on the WEMIX Token Dispute
In a significant legal development for the cryptocurrency industry, the Seoul Central District Court has ordered the now-closed virtual asset exchange GDAC to return 7.8 million WEMIX tokens, valued at approximately $7.31 million, to Wemade CEO Park Kwan-ho.
The court’s decision, which endorses Park’s application for a provisional injunction filed on July 29, mandates that they comply within 30 days or incur a daily fine of 3 million won after the deadline.
The ruling denies GDAC’s accusations of market manipulation and money trafficking against Park. Instead, it raises concerns regarding their capacity to preserve a 100% reserve ratio, directly opposing the exchange’s previous assertions.
The court also suggested that potential issues could arise from a cyber attack in April 2022, which resulted in losses of approximately 20 billion won ($14.48 million). This incident may have compromised their potential to recover thoroughly and maintain sufficient reserves.
The ‘Virtual Asset User Protection Act‘ was implemented just days before GDAC ceased operations on July 16. Park could not withdraw his remaining WEMIX tokens, valued at approximately 10.1 billion won, as a result of this closure.
The case has drawn attention to the practices of crypto exchanges during closures or delistings. In such circumstances, exchanges typically permit complete withdrawals. The implementation of withdrawal limits by GDAC prompted concerns regarding the authenticity of its hold on all of its customers’ WEMIX tokens.
This decision may have a more extensive impact on the cryptocurrency industry in South Korea, particularly in terms of regulatory compliance and exchange practices. It emphasizes the significance of transparent operations and appropriate reserve ratios in the swiftly changing digital asset landscape.
Terra’s co-founder is subject to concurrent legal proceedings
Additionally, the legal proceedings against Terra co-founder Daniel Shin are currently underway. Shin’s attorneys requested additional time to prepare for his criminal defense during the initial hearing at Seoul Southern District Court.
Shin, who did not personally attend the hearing, has assembled a team of 30 attorneys for his defense. This team includes former judges, prosecutors, and lawyers with experience in capital markets law and digital assets-related issues.
This request has been approved by the court, which has designated August 28 as the date for the second hearing. Prosecutors are displeased with this decision and apprehensive about the ongoing delays. The judge announced that they would evaluate the lawyers’ assessments and reevaluate the trial preparation date to determine the order of interrogation and the opportunity for defense.