Korean airline staffer charged with accussations of selling BTS flight data

BTS

BTS agency HYBE has often been vocal about the welfare of its artists and especially their privacy. Recently, an airline staff member was indicted on the grounds of illegally leaking private information about the Korean boy band. The person allegedly sold the group's flight schedule to brokers online, who would then further sell the information to 'fans' who paid the right amount.

Airline staffer indicted

According to the HYBE's public relations manager, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's cybercrime unit arrested three people, including one airline crew member, between February and March on suspicion of selling the group members' flight details to brokers, thus violating the Personal Information Protection Act.

Reports claim that during the investigation, police traced the suspects' history of illegally obtaining information as well as their financial records, which confirmed the structure of the profit-making operation. The case was then transferred to the prosecution over the weekend. Notably, the nationalities as well as other employment details of the defendants have not been disclosed yet as the police refused to comment.

Unfortunately, HYBE said BTS are not the only victim of the breach. The public relations manager stated, "Other HYBE artists, as well as those from different entertainment agencies, were also targeted." The defendants allegedly sold the flight details for tens of millions of won to brokers, who resold them to fans via social media or open chats.

"For example, a hardcore fan used that information to purchase a seat near an idol group and stalked the members during the flight," the manager noted. Meanwhile, in another incident, a fan on the same flight tried to make physical contact with artists.

HYBE statement

BTS' agency HYBE noted that such privacy breaches have long plagued the K-pop artists. While the agency has been collaborating with police for years to bring offenders to justice, such offences continue to take place. Back in September 2023, HYBE even formed a dedicated task force to address the issue of rising privacy concerns. The task force began collecting evidence from social media platforms and submitted the findings to law enforcement.

HYBE in its statement said, "We will respond firmly and hold those responsible fully accountable, with zero tolerance and without offering any settlements or leniency, for the criminal act of commercialising and trading artists' personal information."