As crackdown looms, South Korea's defiant crypto fans dig in

FILE PHOTO: Representations of cryptocurrencies Bitcoin, Ethereum, DogeCoin, Ripple, Litecoin are placed on PC motherboard in this illustration taken, June 29, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

SEOUL (Reuters) - Yun Hae-ri, a 26-year-old South Korean cryptocurrency investor, has seen the value of a coin named Metadium nearly wiped out since she bought it in April.

Like many South Korean retail investors, Yun has thousands of won in smaller cryptocurrencies, seen as alternatives to bitcoin, which have plummeted in value as regulators crack down on the sector.