A group of individuals who illegally leaked the flight information of BTS and other celebrities has been referred to the prosecution.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Cyber Investigation Unit recently sent three suspects, including an employee of a foreign airline (Mr. A), to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office on charges of violating the Information and Communications Network Act and other related offenses.
According to the police, Mr. A and his accomplices illegally accessed the flight details of high-profile celebrities and sold them to brokers, earning tens of millions of won in the process. These brokers then distributed the information through open messenger chat rooms or social media Direct Messages.
During the investigation, police secured details of how Mr. A obtained the information and tracked financial transactions that revealed the profit structure and roles of the co-conspirators.
In the K-pop industry, the leakage of artists’ flight information has long caused serious issues. So-called “sasaeng” fans have used leaked airline details to board the same flights as their idols, attempt in-flight contact, or even alter meal preferences without consent. In extreme cases, some fans have canceled reservations or changed seat assignments, disrupting celebrity schedules.
To address this, HYBE, the agency of BTS, formed a dedicated task force in 2023 to report such cases to authorities. HYBE also tracked multiple social media accounts involved in the illegal trade of airline information and submitted evidence, including user identification details, to the police.
Thanks to this cooperation, police narrowed down the suspects and arrested Mr. A in February, followed by two others in March.
HYBE stated,
“We will fully cooperate with the authorities during the remaining investigation and legal proceedings,”
adding,
“We will apply a zero-tolerance policy and pursue strong legal action without settlement or leniency against anyone involved in criminal activities that commodify and trade artists’ personal information.”
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