Hacker who targeted BTS' Jungkook, others gets 20 years in prison

The mastermind behind the hacking ring that stole 38 billion won (P1.7 billion) from BTS' Jungkook and other business tycoons has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.

The Seoul Central District Court found a Chinese national with the surname Jeon guilty of fraud and violations of the Information and Communications Act.

"They targeted wealthy individuals to plunder their assets, and unlike typical voice phishing victims, the victims in this case lost their assets defenselessly without any fault of their own," the court said, as per Korean network SBS.

It added that this is a "grave crime" that shakes the "foundation of the public financial system."

The court also stated that Jeon showed little remorse and that he could not confirm his claims that there was a different mastermind.

Apart from Jungkook, eight corporate chairmen, CEOs, and presidents, one executive, three celebrities, and three cryptocurrency investors fell victim.

The scam ring stole 8.4 billion won (P374 million) worth of HYBE shares. The transaction was blocked after the label froze the K-pop star's account.

Jeon has previously been accused of organizing a hacking group in Thailand that illegally obtained personal information between August 2023 and January 2025. The group used the stolen identities to open mobile lines to gain access to financial accounts.

He was arrested in Thailand in May 2025 and was repatriated later in August of the same year.