Customs agency detects illegal FX trading worth 415.4 bln won

SEOUL, June 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's customs agency has detected a combined 415.4 billion won (US$272 million) worth of illegal foreign exchange trading this year through May, the finance ministry said Wednesday, amid government-wide efforts to curb market volatility.

The Ministry of Finance and Economy made the announcement during a meeting with related bodies, including the central bank, the customs service and the spy agency, where participants discussed ways to curb illegal trading taking advantage of the Korean won's recent slide against the greenback.

During the meeting, the customs agency said it had uncovered the illegal trading following its probe against 38 companies, which started in January.

Other violations include falsely reporting lower export prices and keeping the difference overseas.

The government, meanwhile, vowed to continue operating a special response team against illegal foreign exchange trading, originally planned to run through end of this month, on a permanent basis, in an effort to root out activities adversely affecting the market.

A screen shows the exchange rate between the Korean won and the U.S. dollar at the dealing room of Hana Bank in central Seoul on June 9, 2026. (Yonhap)