A South Korean court has sentenced a Chinese national to 20 years in prison for leading a sophisticated hacking and identity-theft operation that targeted wealthy South Koreans—including BTS member Jungkook—in a scheme linked to more than 38 billion won (about US$27.2 million) in stolen assets.
The Seoul Central District Court handed down the sentence on August 20, finding the man, identified by the surname Chun/Jeon in different reports, guilty of fraud and violations of South Korea’s information-network laws. The court said the victims were targeted because of their wealth and were deprived of their assets through identity-based attacks rather than typical voice-phishing scams.
Jungkook’s HYBE shares were reportedly in the hackers’ sights
Among the high-profile targets was BTS’ Jungkook.
According to South Korean news reports, the hacking group allegedly used stolen personal information to open unauthorized mobile and financial accounts in victims’ names. In Jungkook’s case, the group reportedly attempted to move 8.4 billion won (roughly US$6 million) worth of his HYBE shares.
The attempted theft happened after Jungkook began his mandatory military service in December 2023, when the unauthorized account activity was reportedly carried out in January 2024. Earlier reporting from Yonhap said approximately 33,000 HYBE shares were transferred to an unauthorized account, with 500 shares sold to a third party.
But the attempted multimillion-dollar theft did not ultimately leave Jungkook with a financial loss.
His agency, BigHit Music, detected the suspicious activity and took measures to suspend transactions and restore the affected assets. The company also said it strengthened security measures involving artists’ personal and device information following the incident.
The operation allegedly went far beyond Jungkook
Investigators linked the operation to a broader criminal network that operated overseas, including in Thailand.
According to Yonhap, the group allegedly collected personal information from wealthy individuals between August 2023 and January 2025. The stolen information was then reportedly used to activate mobile phone lines under victims’ names and gain access to financial accounts and other assets.
The reported victims included business executives and other wealthy individuals, with investigators also identifying a major South Korean conglomerate executive among those targeted.
SBS reported that prosecutors accused the defendant of participating in a hacking organization that stole or attempted to seize assets worth billions of won, while other reports said the operation involved both financial and virtual-asset accounts.
Some reports have put the total value involved—including transactions in which losses were prevented—at around 64 billion won, although the confirmed stolen amount cited by Yonhap and other outlets is more than 38 billion won.
Why did the court impose such a lengthy sentence?
The Seoul Central District Court described the crime as particularly serious because victims lost assets despite having done nothing to cause the breach.
The court also cited the defendant’s lack of genuine remorse. Reports said he denied being the true mastermind and claimed another person was responsible, but investigators were unable to verify the alleged identity of that supposed leader.
The 20-year sentence is therefore not a punishment specifically for targeting Jungkook. Rather, it stems from the defendant’s alleged role in the larger hacking and fraud operation, which prosecutors connected to the theft of billions of won from multiple victims.
Jungkook had already taken legal action over the shares
The latest court ruling follows a separate legal development involving Jungkook’s HYBE holdings.
In 2025, Yonhap reported that Jungkook filed a lawsuit seeking the return of 500 HYBE shares that had been transferred to a third party during the unauthorized transaction. The Seoul Western District Court subsequently ruled in his favor and ordered the shares returned.
The developments underscore how the cyberattack allegedly exploited personal information and financial access rather than simply attempting to break directly into Jungkook’s bank account.
The bigger warning behind the Jungkook case
The case has drawn attention because it combines identity theft, unauthorized mobile accounts, financial-account access and attempted stock transfers involving one of the world’s most recognizable K-pop stars.
But the court proceedings also show that Jungkook was only one of numerous targets.
South Korean authorities have described the wider investigation as involving wealthy individuals, corporate executives, entertainers and other people whose circumstances could make their financial accounts vulnerable to unauthorized access.
For Jungkook, the crucial detail is that the attempted transfer of his HYBE holdings was detected before it resulted in a permanent financial loss.
The alleged scheme, however, reportedly involved tens of billions of won in other victims’ assets—and the man prosecutors identified as a key figure in the operation will now spend two decades behind bars following the Seoul court’s ruling.
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