BTS' Jungkook’s HYBE stocks worth over 8 billion won stolen in massive identity theft while serving in military

BTS' Jungkook has fallen victim to a shocking case of identity theft that resulted in the unauthorised transfer of his HYBE stocks worth 8.44 billion KRW (approximately $6.3 million). The incident reportedly took place while Jungkook was fulfilling his mandatory military service in South Korea.

According to reports from Biz Hankook, the fraudulent activity occurred on January 6, 2024, just weeks after Jungkook enlisted. An unidentified individual allegedly opened three securities accounts in the singer’s name and used them to transfer 33,500 shares of HYBE without his consent. Out of these, 33,000 shares—valued at around 8.3 billion KRW—were moved to a different account under Jungkook’s name, while 500 shares, worth 126 million KRW, were sold to a third party.

Given the level of access required for this act, it is suspected that the perpetrator may have been someone familiar with Jungkook’s personal information, including his banking credentials, identification details, and securities account data.

Upon discovering the unauthorised transfers, Jungkook’s agency, BIGHIT Music, took swift action to freeze all of his accounts, preventing further financial damage. In March 2024, the singer filed a lawsuit against the third party who had purchased some of the stolen shares.