A South Korean man has been indicted on attempted murder charges after allegedly poisoning his business partner with pesticide-laced coffee amid a dispute over more than $816,000 in crypto losses, according to local reports.
The Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office has accused a man in his 30s of adding the pesticide methomyl to his business partner’s drink during a meeting at a café in November, local news outlets Chosun and Asia Business Daily reported on Monday.
After drinking the coffee, the victim lost consciousness and collapsed. He was rushed to the hospital and regained consciousness three days later, according to reports.
Dispute over $800,000 in crypto losses
Starting in 2022, the two men reportedly operated an investment business managing Bitcoin (BTC) investment programs.
However, a dispute arose when the accused man allegedly lost over 1.17 billion Korean won ($816,000), including company funds he had personally invested, leading the alleged victim to assume control of the company’s finances.
The alleged victim, who was not named, told Asia Business Daily that at the time he claims he was poisoned, “I was about to get married, and my wife was in the early stages of pregnancy. My family was almost completely destroyed. I've recovered a lot now, but I still go to the hospital.”
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A trial date is scheduled for March 10 at the Seoul Eastern District Court, where the accused is facing charges of attempted murder and violation of the Pesticide Control Act.
The case comes amid a friendlier environment for crypto in South Korea since the election of President Lee Jae-myung in June, who has pushed forward with various crypto-related laws, including a bill to legalize stablecoins.
That’s led the local market to boom, with the number of crypto exchange users in South Korea surpassing 16 million last year, more than 30% of the population, as the crypto market hit new highs.
However, the wider crypto market saw a downturn late in 2025, as Bitcoin rapidly fell from its October peak of over $125,000 to trade under $90,000 by late December. It’s continued to fall and is now trading at around $65,500.
