25 August,2025 12:51 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
BTS Jungkook hacker arrested
The Chinese national accused of running a hacking ring that robbed more than 38 billion won ($29 million) from wealthy victims, including BTS member Jungkook, has been formally arrested in Korea. The man, identified by his surname Jeon, was captured in Thailand a couple of days earlier and brought to Korea. BTS' Jungkook is believed to be one of the victims in a massive hacking case wherein stocks worth billions of won were reportedly stolen.
Authorities in South Korea confirmed that the leader of the hacking ring, which was behind this crime, has been arrested and brought back from Thailand. Jeon appeared at the court at around 1:15 p.m. for a pretrial detention hearing, where Cho Young-min, a judge at the Seoul Central District Court, issued an arrest warrant on Aug. 24 against the 34-year-old. He was charged with violation of the Information and Communications Network Act and the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes. The court raised concerns that he might destroy evidence or flee.
A Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency official stated during a regular press briefing on August 25 that "the suspect admits to some of the allegations while also denying others," adding, "We plan to conduct a thorough investigation to the maximum extent possible."
According to police and the Ministry of Justice, Jeon organised a hacking ring overseas from August 2023 to January 2024. The group targeted Korean telecom company websites to steal personal data. Using the stolen information, the group opened mobile phone accounts under victims' names to access their bank and cryptocurrency accounts, and stole assets worth more than 38 billion won.
One of the victims to this was BTS member Jungkook. In January 2024, soon after his military enlistment, hackers stole 33,500 shares of HYBE stock from his securities account. This was reportedly worth about 8.4 billion won. Jungkook and his agency, Big Hit Music had filed a civil lawsuit against a third party who had unknowingly purchased 500 of these stolen shares in March 2024. The court ruled in Jungkook's favour and confirmed that there was no valid transfer agreement and hence the shares must be returned.
Authorities allegedly tracked Jeon in cooperation with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and Interpol. Upon learning that he had entered Thailand in April, the ministry requested an emergency arrest warrant from Thai authorities and consequently secured his custody. He was extradited to Korea on August 22. The police noted that they plan to further question Jeon about possible additional crimes.
