[South Korea's National Tax Service Plans to Select Professional Custody Firms to Manage Seized Virtual Assets in the First Half of the Year] According to ZDNET, South Korea's National Tax Service (NTS) plans to select private custody firms within the first half of the year to manage seized virtual assets. Previously, on February 26, the NTS disclosed mnemonic phrases during an on-site investigation of delinquent taxpayers, which led to the theft of seized virtual assets on two occasions. As a result, the NTS decided to shift from self-custody to entrusting professional custody firms. The NTS will screen custody firms based on criteria such as security requirements, company size, and whether they are insured under the "Virtual Asset User Protection Act." The related work will be handled by the "Virtual Asset Management System Upgrade Task Force," established on the 11th of this month. This task force also plans to improve the full-process workflow manual for seizure, custody, and sale, as well as expand professional training. Additionally, the NTS is preparing to establish a new "Digital Asset General Management Division," which will be responsible for the unified management of virtual asset seizure, custody, sale, and taxation. The task force leader stated that this approach is commonly adopted by developed countries and will be implemented within the first half of the year after consulting with experts.