If fans still remember, the кσяєαn media once ѕнσ¢кed the public by reporting that 33,500 HYBE shares worth 8.44 billion won (approximately US$5.7 million) owned by Jungkook were illegally stolen on January 6, 2024, while the idol was serving in the military. The hackers allegedly took advantage of the fact that Jungkook was staying at a military camp, where he had limited access to his phone and could not update his account in time.
The perpetrators created an unauthorized account under his name, then transferred 33,000 shares to the new account and sold 500 shares to a third-party investor. They even attempted to transfer cash as well. Fortunately, his management agency detected the activity in time and took emergency measures, such as halting the transactions, thereby preventing any actual financial loss from occurring. Jungkook also filed a lawsuit to recover the 500 shares that had been transferred to a third party, and the court later ruled in favor of the idol.
Police then spent more than a year tracking down those behind the scheme and identifying the perpetrators, even initiating an investigative partnership with HSI (Homeland Security Investigations). In August 2025, ρσℓι¢є finally arrested 34-year-old Chinese national Chun, identified as the mastermind of the hacking organization that had stolen more than 38 billion won (approximately US$29 million). Chun was urgently extradited from Bangkok, Thailand, and arrested at Incheon International Airport at 5:05 a.m. that same day.
One year after the mastermind’s arrest, the case finally reached a major milestone when the court issued its verdict against Chun. The outcome immediately drew attention, particularly given the scale of the operation and the list of victims allegedly targeted by the group.
Specifically, on August 20 (KST), Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Division 31, presided over by Judge Park Jun-seok, sentenced Chun to 20 years in prison for fraud and violations of the Information and Communications Network Act. He had previously been indicted on charges of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes and the Information and Communications Network Act.
“(Chun) targeted wealthy individuals and stole their αѕѕets,” the court said. “The victims ℓσѕт their αѕѕets through no fault of their own, unlike in voice phishing cases.” Notably, the court also stated that Chun had shown no genuine remorse for his wrongdoing.
In addition to Jungkook, the group’s list of victims reportedly included several chairmen and representatives of major corporations. They maintained records containing information on 258 celebrities, influencers, and wealthy individuals to identify potential targets, with a particular focus on people who were serving in the military or incarcerated.
Of the 258 people on the list, 16 cases resulted in actual financial losses, totaling approximately 39 billion won. If cases in which transactions were detected and blocked in time after the money had been transferred are also included, the estimated total scale of the attempted losses reached approximately 64 billion won.
According to the investigation, Chun’s group established a cybercrime organization in Thailand and several other countries before illegally gaining access to approximately 20 websites, including mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), between August 2023 and April 2025.
After illegally obtaining personal information, the group used the stolen data to register additional low-cost SIM cards under the victims’ names. They then obtained one-time pαѕѕwords (OTPs) in an attempt to gain access to the victims’ bank accounts, financial institutions, and cryptocurrency exchanges.
The hackers did not stop there. They also carried out cyberattacks against government agencies and related organizations to obtain the data required to issue i-PINs and digital certificates. The information was then used to bypαѕѕ security measures and gain access to the αѕѕets of their targets.
The 20-year prison sentence handed down to the perpetrator has officially brought closure to a case that once raised serious concerns over the security of Jungkook’s αѕѕets. The severe sentence not only delivers justice but also offers a sense of relief to the victims and reαѕѕurance to the public. At the same time, it serves as an affirmation of the rule of law and a warning to anyone considering committing similar crimes.
