The Korea Herald reported on July 22, 2025, that a Hong Kong Airlines employee, known as Mr. A, along with two others, have been sent to prosecution for leaking travel details of BTS and other celebrities. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Cyber Unit confirmed that the trio had been forwarded to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office on charges of breaching the Information and Communications Network Act and related offenses.
It was found that Mr. A had unauthorized access to internal flight schedules of celebrities and passed the data to brokers who then shared it through open chat platforms and private messages. The group allegedly made tens of millions of won through this illegal trade. The payment flow was traced, and each person’s role was confirmed. Mr. A was taken into custody in February, with the other two arrested the following month. During questioning, the police uncovered how the flight data was retrieved and traded.
In response to the arrests, HYBE, the multinational conglomerate that manages BTS, stated that they would fully assist the authorities and pursue legal action without compromise. They emphasized a zero-tolerance policy against any misuse of artist information. In 2023, HYBE had set up a dedicated response team to report such actions and had identified social media accounts involved in spreading flight data, submitting user records and evidence to the police.
In a separate incident, some BTS members faced stalker behavior after their military discharge. Jungkook had a Chinese woman in her 30s attempting to access his residence in Seoul by randomly tapping codes on the digital lock outside his building. She was arrested for unlawful entry after admitting to traveling to South Korea to meet the vocalist. Jungkook and Jimin were also interrupted during a live broadcast due to hacking attempts, and Jin had a fan kiss him without permission at a public gathering, leading to charges of public sexual harassment.
Looking ahead, BTS is preparing for a complete reunion in 2026 following the end of their military duties. They plan to release a new record and kick off an international tour. These events highlight the challenges and invasions of privacy that celebrities like BTS face, despite their immense popularity and success.
