▲ Justice Ministry officials escort a Chinese national accused of leading a hacking ring that stole large sums of money by using stolen identities of wealthy South Koreans, including BTS member Jungkook, after his extradition through Incheon International Airport on Aug. 22, 2025, in this phtoo provided by the ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, May 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has extradited another alleged ringleader of a hacking ring accused of stealing or attempting to steal more than 38 billion won (US$27.7 million) from financial and cryptocurrency accounts belonging to wealthy individuals, including BTS member Jungkook. 

 

The Ministry of Justice said on Wednesday it brought back a 40-year-old Chinese national, surnamed A, from Bangkok earlier in the day in cooperation with the National Police Agency.

 

A is accused of leading a cybercrime organization based in Thailand and other countries that illegally withdrew large sums of money from victims’ accounts between August 2023 and April 2024 using stolen personal information.

 

Investigators said the group hacked websites of government agencies and public institutions to obtain personal data, then opened budget mobile phone accounts under victims’ names to bypass identity verification procedures.

 

The ministry said the victims included celebrities, conglomerate chairpersons and startup executives.

 

Jungkook of BTS reportedly had shares of HYBE worth 8.4 billion won stolen from his securities account through identity theft, though no financial loss occurred after authorities immediately froze the transactions.

 

Authorities said A was additionally secured during a joint Interpol operation in Thailand in May last year, when another Chinese suspect, identified by his surname Jeon, was arrested. Jeon was extradited to South Korea in August and later indicted while in detention.

 

The ministry said it worked closely with Thai authorities through extradition trials and continued consultations to secure A’s transfer to South Korea.

 

The ministry vowed continued cooperation with related agencies to crack down on transnational crimes, including hacking and online fraud.

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