Three people, including an employee at a foreign airline, were referred to the prosecution for illegally obtaining and selling the flight information of celebrities, including BTS, industry sources said Tuesday.
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 K-pop powerhouse 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 artists’ flight information.
Through continuous monitoring, the team identified multiple social media accounts involved in the illegal trade of such data and submitted relevant evidence to the police. This ultimately led to the arrest of the airline employee in February, followed by two additional suspects in March.
The local 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 they canceled their favorite stars’ bookings or changed seat assignments.
“The recent case makes it clear that leaking and selling personal information is a criminal offense. 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 toward crimes that commercialize and traffic in artists’ personal information. There will be no compromise or leniency. Everyone involved will be held fully accountable,” the company said.
cjh
