Trio sent to prosecutors in S. Korea for illegally selling BTS’ flight information

SEOUL - Three people, including an employee at a foreign airline, were referred to the prosecution in South Korea for illegally obtaining and selling the flight information of celebrities, including K-pop group BTS, industry sources said on July 22.

The foreign airline employee is suspected of illegally obtaining the flight information of BTS members and other major celebrities and handing it over to accomplices, who then sold it through direct messages or open chat rooms on social media platforms.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s cyber investigation unit, which has been handling the case, reportedly secured evidence showing how the employee illegally accessed internal airline information and engaged in financial transactions with the accomplices. Although the exact amount was not disclosed, the employee allegedly received tens of millions of won in return.

Hybe, the South Korean entertainment company behind BTS, Seventeen and Enhypen, was found to have played a key role in advancing the investigation. The company set up a task force in 2023 to address the leak of its artistes’ flight information.

Through continuous monitoring, the team identified multiple social media accounts involved in the illegal trade of such data and submitted evidence to the police. This ultimately led to the arrest of the airline employee in February, followed by two additional suspects in March.

The Korean entertainment industry has repeatedly raised concerns about the continued leaking of celebrities’ flight booking details, often exploited by

so-called “sasaeng” fans, a Korean term for overzealous followers, who purchase the information to board the same flights as celebrities

.

Some even go as far as changing in-flight meal options or trying direct contact mid-flight. There have been extreme cases where fans cancelled their favourite stars’ bookings or changed seat assignments.

“The recent case makes it clear that leaking and selling personal information is a criminal offence. We expect (the case) to serve as a strong deterrent against similar crimes in the future,” an industry insider said.

Hybe stated that it will continue to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation and upcoming legal proceedings.

“We maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards crimes that commercialise and traffic in artistes’ personal information. There will be no compromise or leniency. Everyone involved will be held fully accountable,” the company said. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK