SEOUL: A Chinese alleged cybercrime ringleader, whose victims reportedly included BTS megastar Jungkook, was extradited from Thailand to South Korea on Wednesday (May 13) over a hacking scheme that stole more than US$25 million, Seoul’s justice ministry said.
The 40-year-old suspect is accused of leading a hacking organisation based overseas, including in Thailand, that infiltrated websites of budget mobile carriers and other firms between August 2023 and April 2025, according to the ministry’s statement.
The suspect was arrested in Bangkok in an Interpol-led operation and flown to South Korea’s Incheon airport Wednesday in cooperation with Seoul’s National Police Agency, it said.
Using illegally obtained personal data, the group allegedly accessed victims’ financial and cryptocurrency accounts and withdrew large sums without authorisation.
Victims reportedly included celebrities, conglomerate chairmen and startup executives, with South Korean reports saying K-pop star Jungkook was among those targeted.
Jungkook reportedly had his securities account identity stolen and shares in HYBE – BTS’s agency – worth 8.4 billion won (US$5.6 million) taken, but avoided financial losses after immediate payment suspension measures were put in place, according to the Kyunghyang Shinmun daily.
An alleged accomplice, a 36-year-old Chinese national arrested in Thailand in May 2025, was extradited to South Korea in August and indicted the following month. His trial is ongoing.
South Korean prosecutors and investigators were also sent to Thailand in July 2025 to meet Thai police and prosecutors.