Kim Jaejoong Reveals Experience of Financial Information Hacking

Singer Kim Jaejoong (김재중), 39, recently opened up about his experience with financial information hacking, criticizing the inadequate response system in place. On May 7, he shared through the fan platform ‘From’ that his KakaoPay account had been hacked, resulting in his password being changed without his consent.

He recounted his frustrating attempts to resolve the issue, stating, "When I contacted the consultation center, they transferred me to the securities consultation center, which then referred me to the security incident center. After about an hour on the phone, I still couldn't resolve the issue and had to end the call due to work obligations."

Kim expressed his disbelief at being told that he could not delete the hacked account without knowing the new password, saying, "How am I supposed to know the password that the hacker changed?" He further lamented, "When they offered to connect me to another consultant, it turned out to be the same department I had initially contacted. My mental state was shattered. I understand that the consultants are working hard, but the response is just too inadequate."

Fortunately, no further damage was reported. Two days later, Kim announced, "It took me a day and a half, but I finally managed to cancel my account. It was truly a terrifying day."

Kim Jaejoong debuted in 2003 as a member of the group TVXQ (동방신기) and has been surrounded by rumors of his wealth, including claims of a net worth of 1 trillion won. He fueled these speculations by revealing that he had used a black card, issued only to the top 0.05% of VIPs in South Korea, for about 12 years. In a recent appearance on a YouTube channel, he clarified, "They included all the cars I've driven over the past 20 years in my asset list. Real estate can come and go, and I buy and sell cars. If I included everything in my asset list, it might total 1 trillion won, but that's not how income works, and that structure doesn't exist."