South Korea extradites Chinese hacker behind ₩380 Billion theft targeting celebs, including BTS’ Jungkook, in major cross-border cybercrime bust. On August 22, 2025, K-media Yonhap News reported that South Korea’s Justice Ministry confirmed that a Chinese man, aged 34 and identified as Mr. A, was sent back from Bangkok and arrested at Incheon Airport."The confirmed victims include many wealthy people in Korea, including famous celebrities, CEOs of large corporations, and heads of venture companies," the Ministry of Justice stated.Officials asserted the group hacked telecom websites between August 2023 and January last year to gather private data. With those details, they opened phones under victims’ names and moved money from bank deposits and virtual asset accounts. Among the victims was BTS maknae Jungkook.αѕтнα 𝜗᭪ @jeonpopsterLINKFinally, justice for Jungkook 🤲🏼 — the hacker group leader who stole his HYBE shares is arrestedIn January last year, 33,500 HYBE shares, worth approximately 8.4 billion won, were withdrawn from his securities account. However, quick action by his agency stopped the payout and prevented any damage. The Seoul police and Interpol tracked Mr. A to Thailand in April.The ministry requested an emergency arrest, and with Interpol’s help, Thai authorities caught the suspect in two weeks. Four months later, he was sent back to Korea. The Justice Ministry said it will step up action against online scams with a new task force.How BTS’ Jungkook became a victim of ₩8.4B stock fraudThis year in March, Korea JoongAng Daily reported that BTS' Jungkook fell victim to a cyber fraud that wiped out about 8.4 billion won, nearly US$5.7 million, from his HYBE stock. The hacker pulled shares from his account and even sold a small part to a third party.The case began on January 6, 2024. Authorities said the culprit opened three brokerage accounts using the K-pop idol's identity and shifted 33,500 HYBE shares. Of these, 500 shares were sold to an outside investor, while the remaining shares remained within the fake accounts.Payment for the deal was made in cryptocurrency, which is 20,000 USDT (Tether). Investigators suspect the scheme was carried out by someone with close knowledge of Jungkook’s financial records. The SEVEN singer's side went to the Seoul Western District Court, which ruled the transfer invalid, noting that no proper contract was made.The court also ordered the return of the 500 shares sold to the buyer, formally recognizing the 27-year-old artist as a victim of identity theft. The hacker, however, remained unidentified at the time. BIGHIT MUSIC later reacted by freezing the accounts, restoring the stock value, and tightening data security for its artists."We enhanced our security measures regarding artists' private devices and personal information in addition to the legal measures," the label said.This occurred during Jungkook's military service, which began on December 12, 2023, and concluded on June 11.