"Highly Disturbing": Fans enraged as The KORAIL employee who reportedly accessed BTS' RM’s personal information returns to work after a new trial

On December 12, 2023, Korail employee Mr. Yoon, who reportedly accessed the BTS' RM’s personal information, was reinstated. The news has led to massive outrage among fans worldwide who believe it was unfair towards Kim Namjoon's personal space.

On March 1, 2023, SBS News reported that Mr. Yoon, an employee from Korail, a railway company in South Korea, accessed BTS' RM's personal information. The details were obtained through his train reservation details. The employee accessed his home address, phone number, and other information over 18 times, invading his privacy for the past four years.

In a recent development, Mr. Yoon has been reinstated after a retrial. As per reports, he even received the salary for the month he did not work. The Korea Railroad Corporation, in a statement, said:

"It had reinstated Mr. Yoon and paid all of his overdue salary in accordance with the decision of the Central Labor Relations Commission.”

This has fueled the fans' discontent, as they believe it is unfair. One X (formerly Twitter) user said:

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"He committed a crime:" Fans are upset that the Korail employee is not punished for allegedly invading BTS' RM’s privacy

SBS News reported that the Korail employee belonged to another department that was not authorized to check passengers' reservation details. Mr. Yoon was reportedly caught in the company's internal audit. While he confessed that he checked BTS' RM's details illegally out of curiosity, there were reports that he gave the idol's personal details to his friend to reserve a seat next to him. He was fired from his job in April.

However, after the retrial, SBS News reported that the Central Labor Relations Commission reinstated the Korail employee. The Korea Railroad Corporation announced the decision through the office of Rep. Kim Doo-gwan of the Democratic Party of Korea.

The commission announced that Mr. Yoon should be reinstated and paid the salary he would have received if he had worked during the dismissal period. It has been reported that the first retrial was held at the appeal of Mr. Yoon, who objected to the dismissal and said:

"The degree of misconduct is serious and even intentionality is acknowledged’ but the Central Labor Relations Commission, which is the final trial, overturned the decision, saying it was unfair dismissal."

The Central Labor Committee explained the reason for reinstating the Korail employee and said:

"The Korea Railroad Corporation used the numerous media reports that RM's personal information was viewed without permission at the time as a basis for the decision to dismiss. ‘This appears to be due to RM's popularity rather than Mr. Yoon's misconduct.'"

It added:

"Considering that the railroad company has never fired an employee in another incident that violated the Personal Information Protection Act, firing Mr. Yoon was unfair."

As soon as fans learned about the latest decision, they were filled with angst and disgust. They took to social media, showcasing their disappointment and displeasure.

Many said that even if BTS' RM is a celebrity, that doesn't excuse others to commit a crime and let the employee go unpunished. Some also expressed that there is a serious issue with Korean law, and reforms are needed to provide severe punishment to those breaching it. Here are some reactions to Mr. Yoon's return to work:

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BTS' RM recently enlisted for his mandatory military service on December 11 alongside Kim Taehyung. He is expected to return in 2025.