BTS star Jeon Jungkook fell victim to an identity theft in January 2024 while is was serving in the South Korean military. On August 25, 2025, Korean news portal Korea Deok reported a major development in the case. The reports stated that a Chinese hacker named Jeon, who was accused of orchestrating a digital fraud worth KRW 38 billion (USD 28 million), has admitted to the charges. He has now been arrested. BTS V Creates History! K-Pop Star Becomes FIRST Korean Male Idol To Reach 69 Million Followers on Instagram – Check Top 10 List Inside.

Jungkook’s Identity Hacker Partially Admits to Charges

After formally arresting Jeon, he was produced before the Seoul Central District Court. According to Korea Deok, an official from the Seoul Metropilitan Police agency said, "The suspect has admitted to some charges, while denying others. We will persuit a strict investigation based on the evidence so far."

BTS Jungkook Identity Theft Hacker Partially Admits Charges

According to the investigation, the Chinese hacker led a hacking syndicate between August 2023 and January 2024. He hacked several domestic telecommunication sites, violating the Information and Communications Network Act. The group then used the stolen private information to create fake mobile accounts and transferred assets from financial and crypto accounts.

HYBE Takes Action

Among those scammed, BTS's Jungkook was a victim, losing 33,500 shares of HYBE (the entertainment company managing BTS), valued at KRW 8.4 billion. Reportedly, the amount was withdrawn from his account in January 2024, after Jungkook began his mandatory military service. Following this, HYBE took swift action by halting all payouts to the "Standing Next to You" singer and later recovered the lost funds through legal means.. BTS’ Jungkook Returns to Instagram After Military Discharge – Here’s What Golden Maknae’s New Username Means! (Watch Video).

Accused Nabbed in Thailand

The Ministry of Justice, along with Interpol and Thai officials, traced Jeon to Bangkok in April 2025. Within two weeks, he was arrested under an emergency extradition request and flown to South Korea on August 22, 2025. According to officials, 16 individuals have been arrested in the case, with two currently in custody. Jeon will be handed over to prosecutors for further legal proceedings.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 26, 2025 04:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).