BTS's Jungkook Victim of Stock Theft Incident

Jungkook (정국) of BTS (방탄소년단) has recently been revealed to be a victim of stock theft. On March 22, his agency, Big Hit Music, confirmed to the media that they took immediate action to prevent further damage once they became aware of the crime. This included freezing the affected accounts and implementing measures to restore the situation.

In addition to legal actions, the agency has also enhanced security protocols to protect Jungkook's personal information and devices to prevent future incidents.

The hacker opened an account in Jungkook's name while he was undergoing basic military training after enlisting in January 2023. They misappropriated 33,000 shares of HYBE stock, valued at approximately 8.3 billion KRW, and sold 500 shares (around 126 million KRW) to a third party.

In response, Jungkook filed a civil lawsuit in March 2023 against the third party who purchased the shares, demanding their return. Last month, the Seoul Western District Court ruled that no transfer contract for the shares had been established and that Jungkook was indeed a victim of identity theft. The court ordered the third party to return the shares.

The court also noted that the third party acted with gross negligence by proceeding with the transaction without verifying the identity of the account holder, based solely on claims that the shares belonged to a major shareholder.

As of now, the hacker responsible for the stock theft has not been apprehended. Jungkook is currently serving in the military and is expected to be discharged on June 11, 2025.