From a Herald Business interview dated January 12, 2018.
"The Ministry of Justice appears to have taken the hard-line step of enacting a special statute because cryptocurrency is not recognized as currency, which makes existing law difficult to apply. Amending the Act on the Regulation of Similar Receiving of Money to insert a cryptocurrency provision was also considered, but is said to have been ruled out over concern that, since the statute presupposes licensing and approval under law, it might instead give the market the impression of recognizing cryptocurrency trading.
Even so, it is already being pointed out that a special statute may raise constitutional problems.
Attorney Jaesun Yoon of Law Firm Changchun said: 'A dispositive statute that takes effect against particular citizens without the intermediation of enforcement or adjudication carries unconstitutional elements in itself.'"