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The Chinese hacker ringleader who defrauded over 38 billion KRW from the accounts of celebs, including BTS' Jungkook, was arrested on August 22. The South Korean Ministry of Justice confirmed the arrest of the ringleader.
As reported by Yonhap News Agency, the ministry stated that 33,500 shares of the multinational company HYBE, valued at roughly 8.4 billion KRW, were stolen from the Standing Next To You vocalist.
The culprit was arrested in Thailand and formally deported to South Korea with the help of Interpol. The Justice Ministry of Korea informed that the 34-year-old offender arrived at Incheon International Airport from Bangkok on Friday.
BTS' Jungkook fell prey to cyberfraud by a Chinese hacker
A Chinese national allegedly orchestrated a cyber syndicate that stole over 38 billion KRW (approximately $29 million) from Korean nationals, including BTS' Jungkook. He has now been extradited from Thailand following an international investigation.
"The confirmed victims include many wealthy people in Korea, including famous celebrities, CEOs of large corporations, and heads of venture companies," the Ministry of Justice stated.
According to investigators, the hacker organized an international hacking ring and penetrated domestic telecom company websites from August 2023 to January 2024 to illegally steal personal information.
With the stolen details, the hackers created mobile phone accounts using the victims' identities and got control of their financial and cryptocurrency accounts. The hacker diverted assets valued at more than 38 billion KRW.
Victims included BTS' Jungkook and other business figures. The ministry looked into the offender's activities with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and Interpol, verifying that he visited Thailand in April.
The Chinese hacker was detained by Thai authorities before being handed over to Korea following the issuance of a request for his extradition.
As reported by the Korea Times, the cybercrime division of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency commented on the issue:
“We will request an arrest warrant after questioning the suspect and analyzing confiscated materials. Given the significant social impact of this case, we will conduct a thorough investigation.”
More details on BTS' Jungkook cyber fraud
Earlier, in March this year, the Korea JoongAng Daily confirmed that Jeon Jungkook became a target of cyber fraud. This resulted in the loss of around 8.4 billion KRW (roughly 5.7 million USD) from his HYBE stock. The hacker took away shares from the singer's account and sold a portion to a third party.
Officials reported that the offender made three brokerage accounts with the K-pop idol's name and transferred 33,500 HYBE shares. Of these, 500 shares were sold to an outsider, whereas the remaining shares were kept in the fraudulent accounts. The exchange was done with cryptocurrency.
The BTS maknae's side went to the Seoul Western District Court, which deemed the transfer invalid, citing the absence of a contract.
The court said that the BTS idol was a victim of identity theft and reinstated his 500 shares. The hacker, meanwhile, remained unknown at that time.
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