Highlight’s fan club, Light, has suffered a personal information leak, affecting 897 individuals. Their data was openly exposed on the agency’s website.
On May 2, Around Us Entertainment posted a notice on its official site titled "Highlight ‘Inkigayo’ Pre-Recording Participation Guide." The post was intended to reveal a list of 280 selected participants. However, a critical error occurred in which the entire list of 897 applicants was accidentally published. Real names, contact numbers, birthdates, and fan club membership numbers were all leaked. Fans expressed outrage. One fan told Dispatch, “I called the agency, but no one answered. They didn’t read the email either. There has been no response at all.”
Pre-recordings for music shows typically take place early in the morning. On this day, fans had to arrive at the SBS Open Hall in Deungchon-dong by 6:25 AM to see Highlight. The required documents and materials for entry were also extensive. Fans were required to show a fan club card, four physical albums, proof of full digital album purchases, printed identity confirmation, an ID card, and a lightstick.
Despite the early hour and long list of requirements, fans followed instructions. Nearly 900 of them complied, only to have their personal information leaked due to the agency’s negligence.
On May 21, an Around Us representative told Dispatch, “We had been monitoring to prevent damage. We will post an apology and a notice to fans.”
This response came three weeks after the incident. The agency finally stated, “We apologize for causing concern due to our failure to act swiftly after the leak.”
They added, “If you suspect your information has been misused, please send details via email. We ask everyone to remain vigilant against secondary damage such as identity theft.”
Below is the full apology from Around Us Entertainment:
"Hello, this is Around Us Entertainment.
First, we sincerely apologize for the personal information leak involving some members of Highlight's official fan club, Light 5th Generation.
On May 2, 2025, while processing pre-recording applications for SBS 'Inkigayo,' the personal information of some Light 5th Generation members was inadvertently exposed during the application guidance process for public broadcast participation. During the final upload of the pre-recording participant list, the original file containing verification information was mistakenly uploaded. The error was recognized immediately, and the file was deleted and replaced. However, during this process, valuable personal information of applicants was leaked. We sincerely apologize for this incident.
We are also deeply sorry for not responding more promptly after becoming aware of the situation, causing further distress to those affected.
Since then, we have continuously monitored the situation to prevent further damage and to protect fans’ personal information. In addition, we will reissue new Light 5th Generation membership numbers and cards to those affected.
The reissued membership numbers will be sent via SMS and email starting May 23 to the purchasers of the fan club products. The new membership cards will be delivered to the same addresses as the fan club kits beginning in the second week of June. For concert pre-sale verification, please enter the reissued membership number.
If you experience any suspected misuse of your personal data due to this incident, please report it to the email address below. We also ask all members to be especially cautious to avoid secondary damage such as identity theft, phishing emails, spam, or malware.
▶ Report email: fanclub@aroundusent.com
We fully recognize the seriousness of this incident and will do our utmost to improve internal management systems and strengthen data protection to prevent any recurrence.
We once again deeply apologize for the concern and inconvenience caused by the lack of security measures. Thank you."
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