Foreign airline employee under investigation for allegedly leaking private flight details of BTS and other Korean celebrities

On March 4, 2025, MHN Sports reported that police booked a foreign airline employee for leaking and selling private flight details about BTS and other Korean celebrities and violating the Information and Communications Network Act. The investigation is a joint effort between HYBE and the police.

For over two years, HYBE has been monitoring flight information leaks since 2023 via their Task Force (TF). They continuously provided all the information and the suspect list to the police, narrowing it down for the authorities to catch the real culprits.

HYBE stated,

"The act of selling or purchasing illegally obtained airline tickets is a serious crime that threatens the safety of artists and can cause safety accidents at airports and on airplanes. We will apply the zero tolerance principle and respond strictly without any agreement or leniency."

A foreign airline employee is under investigation for allegedly leaking the private flight details of BTS. (Image via X/@BIGHIT_MUSIC)

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More about the Airline employee's unauthorized access and distribution of BTS' flight details for monetary benefit

On February 24, Seoul police reported that a Hong Kong airline employee leaked flight details of international K-pop stars, including BTS. Identified as "A," the employee accessed data using airline systems and sold over 1,000 sets of information, reportedly earning more than 10 million KRW ($7,000).

During the investigation, "A" reportedly confessed that they initially obtained the boarding information at the request of an acquaintance but later began selling it for monetary gain. The prices charged varied, with higher fees for top-tier celebrities like BTS and specific seating details.

Airline ticket details were mostly exchanged in secret via KakaoTalk open chat groups or SNS direct messages (DM). Several obsessed fans, "Sasaeng," reportedly purchased this information to book their seats next to a K-Pop idol or celebrity or send them in-flight meals.

Such unauthorized sale of information constitutes an infraction of the airline's policy. In addition to the company's deal regarding sensitive information, the ethical implications and legal ramifications are enormous. The leak could reach the notoriously obsessive fans, most popularly known as "Sasaeng," jeopardizing the safety of several artists.

BTS' Kim Namjoon (RM) was the victim of the disclosure of his personal travel information. (Image via X/@BIGHIT_MUSIC)

This incident is not isolated. Less than a year ago, HYBE, the entertainment company managing BTS, filed legal complaints regarding suspected leaks of flight ticket information involving the group's members.

According to reports by WIONEWS, in May 2023, a Korail employee, identified only as "A," accessed Kim Namjoon aka RM's personal information, including his home address, mobile phone number, and travel details, without proper authorization.

The internal audit revealed that "A" had accessed RM's information 18 times since 2019. The employee admitted to these actions, stating that they were driven by curiosity.

Further investigations revealed that "A" took undue advantage of their station to arrange RM's travel and managed to reschedule his personal travel plan to coincide with RM's so that he could sit next to the artist.

Despite entertainment companies adopting a "zero-tolerance" stance against such privacy violations, incidents involving "sasaeng" fans persist, highlighting ongoing challenges in protecting celebrity privacy.

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In other news, BTS' Namjoon (RM) and Taehyung (V) will be discharged from their mandatory military service on June 10, 2025, followed by Jungkook and Jimin on June 11. Band member SUGA will be discharged on June 21, after fulfilling 21 months of mandatory service.