The suspect, surnamed Jeon (34), who allegedly stole the identities of BTS member Jungkook, a major conglomerate chairman, and others, has partially admitted to the crimes.
At a regular press briefing on August 25, a Seoul Metropolitan Police official stated, “The suspect has admitted to some charges while denying others. We will continue a thorough investigation based on the evidence we have secured.”
Jeon, a Chinese national, is accused of hacking domestic telecommunications company websites and other platforms between August 2023 and January 2024, stealing assets in violation of the Information and Communications Network Act.
Jungkook was among the victims. In January 2024, while serving in the military, his identity was used to illegally open a securities account. Jeon allegedly sold about 100 million KRW (approx. 73,000 USD) worth of stocks under Jungkook’s name to a third party. Jungkook later recovered the funds through a civil lawsuit in March.
Investigators also found that Jeon used the names of a top-30 chaebol (a family-run conglomerate in South Korea) leader, a venture company CEO, and others to commit further crimes. Using their stolen identities, he allegedly activated mobile phone accounts and siphoned money from financial and virtual asset accounts.
Jeon was extradited from Thailand to South Korea on August 22 in cooperation with Thai authorities and was formally arrested on August 24.
The total confirmed damage so far amounts to approximately 38 billion KRW (about 27.7 million USD). Police reported that they have arrested 16 people involved in the case, with two already in custody.
Authorities plan to hand Jeon over to prosecutors this week while continuing to interview victims. “It is essential to verify the full extent of the damage,” a police official said.
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