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Justice Ministry officials escort a Chinese national identified as Jeon (34), the alleged ringleader of a hacking group that stole large sums by using the identities of wealthy individuals—including Jungkook of BTS—upon his forced repatriation through Incheon International Airport. ⓒMinistry of Justice |
[Alpha Biz= Ellie Kim] A Chinese national identified as A (40), the alleged ringleader of a hacking organization that targeted high-profile individuals—including Jungkook of BTS—has been extradited to South Korea.
The Ministry of Justice announced on May 13 that A was repatriated from Bangkok, Thailand to Incheon International Airport in cooperation with the National Police Agency. He is accused of orchestrating a cybercrime syndicate that stole or attempted to steal more than KRW 38 billion from victims’ financial and cryptocurrency accounts.
Investigators found that A organized the group overseas and, between August 2023 and April 2024, used illegally obtained personal data to access victims’ accounts and withdraw funds without authorization.
The group reportedly hacked government and public institution websites to obtain personal information, then used the stolen data to open mobile phone accounts under victims’ names to bypass identity verification systems.
Authorities said the group extracted personal and financial data from 258 victims, including resident registration numbers and authentication credentials. They then created a shortlist based on asset size before selecting final targets—such as individuals in prison or on military duty—who would have difficulty responding quickly.
Targets included celebrities and wealthy individuals such as Jungkook, corporate executives, and legal professionals. In Jungkook’s case, HYBE shares worth approximately KRW 8.4 billion were targeted, but no financial loss occurred after his agency intervened and froze the transactions.
Previously, Seoul police had arrested two other key suspects and 16 accomplices both domestically and abroad. Authorities have continued joint operations with INTERPOL to track down remaining members of the group.
The Ministry of Justice secured the suspects in Thailand through emergency detention for extradition in May last year, followed by a formal extradition request in August.
Police plan to conduct further interrogation and analyze seized evidence before seeking an arrest warrant for A.
Alphabiz Ellie Kim 인턴기자(press@alphabiz.co.kr)
