South Korean police launch investigation into alleged bribery of Bithumb CEO According to The Block, the Public Crime Investigation Division of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Department has identified Lee Jae won, CEO of the cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb, as a suspect in a bribery case involving independent member of parliament Kim Byung kee. The police obtained a statement from a former assistant that Kim requested Lee to arrange for his second son to work at Bithumb in November 2024, and his son joined and worked for about six months two months later; Kim previously requested Bithumb to hire one of his assistants, who has been working at the company since September 2025.