About KimchiPremium
Real-time Cryptocurrency Kimchi Premium Tracker
KimchiPremium is a free data service that tracks real-time price differences between the Korean exchange (Upbit) and international exchanges (OKX, Coinbase). The kimchi premium refreshes every 5 seconds, covering 130+ coins with fear & greed index, on-chain metrics, and the latest news — all in one place.
Why We Built This
South Korea is one of the most crypto-active nations in the world. Around 30% of the Korean population holds cryptocurrency, and Korean Won trading accounts for roughly 10% of global Bitcoin volume. Despite this, there was no tool that let traders monitor the 'kimchi premium' in real-time, across all coins, on mobile. Existing services had slow updates, limited coin coverage, or clunky interfaces. KimchiPremium was built to give investors and traders a fast, clear read on the Korean market's temperature. Data stays within 5 seconds of the latest tick, and we cover the entire Upbit KRW market (130+ coins).
How the Premium Is Calculated
The kimchi premium is calculated using this formula:
Premium (%) = (Upbit KRW − OKX USD × USD/KRW Rate) ÷ (OKX USD × USD/KRW Rate) × 100- 1Fetch KRW price from Upbit's official REST API
- 2Fetch USDT price from OKX's official REST API
- 3Apply real-time USD/KRW exchange rate to convert OKX price to KRW
- 4Calculate the percentage difference between the two KRW prices
- 5Repeat the entire process every 5 seconds
Coins not listed on OKX (Korean-only coins like BORA, MLK, MBL, etc.) display '—' for the premium since no global reference price exists.
History of the Kimchi Premium
Peak Korea crypto mania. Bitcoin traded at nearly double the global price domestically.
Korea sold faster than global markets. First major reverse kimchi premium.
Korean market overheated again, led by altcoins.
Global worst crash. Korean market fell in tandem.
Generally stable. Spikes immediately during greed or fear cycles.
💡 Historically, a premium above +15% has been interpreted as an overheating warning; below −5% as extreme fear.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What does a high kimchi premium mean?
A high kimchi premium means Korean demand is running hotter than global markets. Historically, premiums above +10% have often signaled short-term overheating — but this is not a confirmed reversal signal on its own.
Q. What is a reverse kimchi premium?
This occurs when Korean prices fall below international prices. It typically appears when Korean fear is greater than global sentiment, or when foreign buying is disproportionately strong.
Q. How accurate is the data?
We fetch the latest trade price from Upbit and OKX official REST APIs every 5 seconds. Exchange rates are updated every minute via exchangerate-api.com. Brief inaccuracies may occur during API delays or outages.
Q. Which coins are supported?
All coins listed on Upbit's KRW market (130+). Korean-only coins not listed on OKX (BORA, MLK, MBL, MED, HUNT, etc.) show '—' for the premium since no global comparison is possible.
Data Sources
- Upbit API — Real-time KRW prices (official REST API)
- OKX API — Real-time USD prices (official REST API)
- Coinbase API — USD reference prices
- exchangerate-api.com — Real-time USD/KRW exchange rate (1-min refresh)
- Alternative.me — Fear & Greed Index
- CryptoCompare — Cryptocurrency news headlines
- CoinMetrics — On-chain metrics (MVRV, active addresses, hash rate, transactions)
- CoinGlass — Funding rate data
- CoinGecko — Market cap ranking data
This service is operated for informational purposes only. All data provided does not constitute investment advice. All investment decisions are solely the responsibility of the user. Cryptocurrency investing involves significant risk of loss.
Contact
For bug reports, feature suggestions, or partnership inquiries, please email us. We'll get back to you promptly.
contact@kimchipremium.com