🕒 Last updated on July 22, 2025
A serious privacy breach involving global K-pop sensation BTS has come to light. A foreign airline worker and two others are being prosecuted for leaking private travel details of BTS members and other celebritiesa.
BTS Fans Targeted in Secret Flight Info Leak Scheme
This illegal activity was aimed at obsessed fans known as “sasaengs” — individuals who go to extreme lengths to track and follow their favorite stars. According to official reports, the accused used insider access to collect private flight schedules and personal information about high-profile individuals.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office has confirmed that three people were sent for prosecution following an investigation by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Cyber Investigation Unit. The police found that this illegal operation had been running for months and that tens of millions of Korean Won were exchanged in the process.
The main suspect is a staff member from a foreign airline who used his job to access flight schedules and reservation data of BTS and other celebrities. He secretly passed on this data to two accomplices. These accomplices then sold the private information online through direct messages and chat groups. The buyers were mostly extreme fans who used the details to stalk or confront the celebrities during flights or at airports.
Illegal Data Sold Through Social Media and Chat Groups
Investigators revealed that the suspects created a hidden network to make money by selling these private details. The information was distributed using popular social media platforms and chat rooms.
In some cases, fans used the leaked information to buy tickets on the same flight as BTS or even change seating arrangements. Others tried to interfere with in-flight services or tamper with meal orders. Some extreme cases involved fans attempting to cancel or change celebrity flight reservations.
This kind of behavior can be harmful and dangerous. It also puts the safety of everyone on board at risk. Officials said that this type of unauthorized data access violates the Information and Communications Network Act and other laws related to illegal data handling.
The data sold included the flight number, departure and arrival times, and seat information. These details are highly sensitive and protected by privacy rules. Sharing such data without permission is a serious crime under Korean law.
HYBE and Police Work Together to Catch the Offenders
BTS’s management company, HYBE, had earlier raised alarms over repeated privacy breaches. In 2023, they formed a special task force to look into the problem. The team worked for months to trace where the leaks were coming from.
They gathered strong digital evidence such as bank payment records, chat logs, and user details of the people who were selling the flight information. With this evidence, HYBE worked closely with law enforcement. Their cooperation helped speed up the investigation.
No Spies Allowed—Apple’s Private Cloud Compute Redefines AI Privacy Standards
As a result, the airline employee was arrested in February this year. The other two people involved were caught in March. Now, all three have officially been sent for prosecution.
Police said the airline worker received large sums of money in exchange for giving out the flight details. The accomplices built a wide online network to sell the information to eager fans. These fans were unaware that buying such data was not only harmful but also illegal.
This case shows how digital crimes and privacy breaches can hurt celebrities and put their lives at risk. It also shows the growing concern over how some fans take things too far.
Authorities say more such cases are being looked into. The hope is that strong action like this will send a message to others involved in similar activities.
This story highlights the need for strict action to protect personal information in today’s digital world — especially for public figures constantly under watch.
