Assembly Speaker Cho Jung-sik, ruling and opposition lawmakers visit booth

Attendees show interest in virtual asset inheritance protection reforms

Dunamu participates in the 2026 National Assembly Legislative Expo, held Thursday and Friday. [Dunamu]
Dunamu participates in the 2026 National Assembly Legislative Expo, held Thursday and Friday. [Dunamu]

Dunamu has proposed regulatory reforms to create a unified inquiry system for inherited virtual assets and to protect accounts held in the names of deceased users — changes aimed at sparing heirs the burden of contacting each exchange individually to determine whether a loved one held any virtual assets.

Dunamu, the operator of crypto exchange Upbit, said Monday it participated in the 2026 National Assembly Legislative Expo, held Thursday and Friday at the central lawn of the National Assembly building in Yeouido, Seoul, where it highlighted regulatory blind spots in the virtual asset inheritance process and outlined potential remedies.

The company operated a booth under the theme "Securing the value of digital assets safely for the next generation," explaining to National Assembly Speaker Cho Jung-sik, ruling and opposition lawmakers, legislative and policy officials, and members of the public the difficulties heirs face when searching for inherited assets and the need to protect accounts belonging to deceased users.

Dunamu identified as a key problem the fact that virtual assets — unlike bank deposits and securities — are not covered by the government's one-stop inheritance inquiry service. Because bereaved families may be unaware that a deceased person used a particular exchange, they can struggle even to begin the inheritance process. The company said a system is needed that allows heirs to check whether a deceased person held virtual assets without having to contact each exchange separately.

Dunamu also proposed a mechanism that would allow exchanges to verify a user's death more quickly. Because exchanges currently have no way to confirm a death until an heir files a separate notification, the company said promptly restricting transactions on accounts held in the names of deceased users is necessary to protect their assets.

"This was an opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of building a user protection framework commensurate with the growth of the digital asset industry, and to hear directly from those on the ground," a Dunamu official said. "We will continue working toward regulatory improvements by communicating with a wide range of stakeholders so that the value of digital assets can be passed on safely to the next generation."


forest@heraldcorp.com