Police, Tax Agents Raid South Korea's Cryptocurrency Exchanges
VOA News
January 10, 2018 10:36 PM (source)
Police, Tax Agents Raid South Korea's Cryptocurrency Exchanges
南韓加密貨幣交易所遭警察及稅務人員突擊搜查
January 10, 2018 10:36 PM
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA —
South Korea's largest cryptocurrency exchanges were raided by police and tax agencies this week for alleged tax evasion, people familiar with the investigation said Thursday.
"A few officials from the National Tax Service raided our office this week," an official at Coinone, a major cryptocurrency exchange in South Korea, told Reuters.
"Local police also have been investigating our company since last year, they think what we do is gambling," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. He said Coinone was cooperating with the investigation.
Bithumb
Bithumb, the second largest virtual currency operator in South Korea, was also raided by the tax authorities on Wednesday.
"We were asked by the tax officials to disclose paperwork and things yesterday," an official at Bithumb said, requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
South Korean financial authorities had previously said they are inspecting six local banks that offer virtual currency accounts to institutions, amid concerns the increasing use of such assets could lead to a surge in crime.
Busiest exchanges
The crackdown on Seoul-based operators of some of the world's busiest virtual currency exchanges comes as the government attempts to calm frenzied demand for cryptocurrency trading in Asia's fourth largest economy.
Bitcoin's 1,500 percent surge last year has stoked huge demand for cryptocurency in South Korea, drawing college students to housewives and sparking concerns about a gambling addiction.
知情人士於週四（編按：2018 年 1 月 11 日）表示，南韓最大的加密貨幣交易所(cryptocurrency exchange)因涉嫌逃稅(tax evasion)，本週遭到警方和稅務機構突擊搜查(raid)。
南韓主要的加密貨幣交易所 Coinone 交易所一位高階主管向路透社（Reuters）表示：「國稅廳（National Tax Service）官員本週突襲檢查了我們的辦公室」。
這位以匿名(anonymity)為條件受訪的主管透露：「當地警方自去年開始就對我們公司進行調查，他們認為我們是在從事賭博」。他表示，Coinone 交易所正配合調查。
Bithumb 交易所
南韓第二大的虛擬貨幣(virtual currency)交易所 Bithumb 亦在週三（編按：2018 年 1 月 10 日）時遭稅務機關突擊檢查。
因為議題敏感，一位 Bithumb 交易所的主管要求匿名受訪。他表示：「昨天稅務官員要求我們公布(disclose)一些文書資料(paperwork)和其他的東西」。
擔憂此類資產(assets)的使用頻繁可能導致犯罪激增(surge)，南韓的金融單位曾表示，他們正在調查(inspect) 6 間對投資機構提供虛擬貨幣交易賬戶的本地銀行。
熱絡的交易所
對於這幾個全球交易最熱絡、以首爾為總部(Seoul-based)的虛擬貨幣交易所業者，南韓政府在此刻的出手打擊(crackdown)，適逢其當局試圖冷卻這亞洲第 4 大經濟體狂熱的(frenzied)電子加密貨幣交易需求。
比特幣（Bitcoin）去年猛漲 1500%，在南韓助長(stoke)了投資客對加密貨幣的龐大需求，也吸引了大學生到家庭主婦的投入，引發(spark)社會沉迷於賭博的疑慮。
Language Notes
cryptocurrency [`krɪpto͵kɝənsɪ] (n) 加密貨幣
* 本字由字首 "crypto-"「隱藏的；秘密的」和 "currency"「貨幣」組成
exchange [ɪks`tʃendʒ] (n)（貨幣或證券）交易；交易所
* 本字常作動詞，意為「交換」、「互換」
raid [red] (v) 突然襲擊；警察的突擊調查
evasion [ɪ`veʒən] (n) 逃脫；躲開
* evade [ɪ`ved] (v) 躲避；逃避
anonymity [͵ænə`nɪmətɪ] (n) 匿名；不公開姓名
* 注意本字與其形容詞的發音及重音變化：anonymous [ə`nɑnəməs] (a) 匿名的；姓氏不明的
disclose [dɪs`kloz] (v) 透露；公開
paperwork [`pepɚ͵wɝk] (n) 資料，文檔
* 本字亦常指「文書工作」，例如：My job involves endless paperwork.（我的工作有做不完的文書要處理。）
inspect [ɪn`spɛkt] (v) 檢閱；視察
* inspection [ɪn`spɛkʃən] (n) 檢查；視察
asset [`æsɛt] (n) 資產；財產
* 本字指「資產」、「財產」時，常用複數形 "assets"
surge [sɝdʒ] (n) 遽增，急遽上升
crackdown [`kræk͵daʊn] (n) 制裁；打擊
* 與本字相關的動詞片語是 "to crack down on something"，亦是「制裁」、「打擊」之意
frenzied [`frɛnzɪd] (a) 狂熱的，狂暴的
* 本字由動詞 "frenzy"「使發狂；使狂怒」的過去分詞演變而來，但 "frenzy" 已漸少作動詞使用，多為名詞：frenzy [`frɛnzɪ] (n)（暫時的）瘋狂；狂怒
stoke [stok] (v) 煽動，激起（不良想法或情感）
spark [spɑrk] (v) 導致，觸發（尤指爭論或打鬥）
* 本字亦是名詞，為「火花」、「火星」之意
Check your vocabulary!
Fill in the blanks with a word or phrase from the list above. Make necessary changes. After you finish, highlight the blanks to reveal the hidden answers.
1. There has been a series of government crackdowns on safety in factories.
2. This proposal will almost certainly spark another countrywide debate about immigration.
3. There has been a surge in house prices recently.
4. As the evening wore on the dancing got more and more frenzied.
5. The police have reassured witnesses that they will be guaranteed anonymity.
6. I've kept all the paperwork for the car.
編譯：簡嘉呈
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