The leader of a hacking organization that embezzled large sums of money by using the names of BTS member Jungkook and other wealthy individuals in South Korea has been extradited to the country.
The Ministry of Justice announced on the 22nd that a Chinese national, A (34), who is a key criminal of a hacking organization that hacked multiple websites and embezzled over 38 billion won from the financial accounts and virtual asset accounts of prominent figures in South Korea, was extradited from Bangkok, Thailand to Incheon International Airport on the morning of the same day.
Previously, it was revealed that A had organized a hacking crime group overseas, including in Thailand, and illegally collected personal information through hacking activities such as breaking into telecommunications company websites from August 2023 to January of the previous year.
It is reported that A then opened mobile phone accounts in the names of the victims and embezzled large sums of money by transferring assets such as deposits from their financial accounts and virtual asset accounts without authorization.
The Ministry of Justice stated, "The confirmed victims include many wealthy individuals in South Korea, such as famous celebrities, conglomerate chairpersons, and venture company representatives."
It is reported that Jungkook is among the victims. After enlisting in the military in January of last year, he was a victim of identity theft regarding his securities account, resulting in the theft of 33,500 shares of HYBE stock worth approximately 8.4 billion won, but the company took action, preventing actual damage.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Justice, in cooperation with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and Interpol, tracked the whereabouts of the criminal and received intelligence in April of this year that A had entered Thailand, prompting an immediate request for urgent extradition from Thai authorities. Subsequently, the Ministry of Justice secured A's custody through cooperation with Southeast Asian networks and Interpol, and extradited A to Korea after four months.
[Kim Mi-ji, Star Today Reporter]
