BTS ILLEGAL Info Leak and Sale: How the Task Force of Hybe followed the airline airline because they stole the prominent flight details

The South Korean authorities finally arrested an airline employee because they illegally preserved and sold flight information from BTS and other celebrities, a crime that the entertainment industry has been plagued for a long time. This case is particularly noteworthy because it is the first time that the main source of such infiltrated information has been caught.

The suspect identified as A was booked last month for violating the law on the information and communication network. While the authorities previously arrested people who distributed celebrity flight data online, this is the first case in which the original supplier of the confidential data has been traced and calculated.

The illegal trade with celebrity flight details was a persistent topic, especially for globally recognized K-pop stars such as BTS. In response to growing concerns about the security of her artists, Hybe formed a specialized Task Force (TF) in 2023 to examine how sensitive flight details were leaked through. For two years, the team monitored illegal transactions, collected evidence and worked in coordination with the law enforcement authorities to track down the original source. Her efforts ultimately led to the identification and arrest of A.

An important challenge for Hybe and other entertainment agencies in combating these leaks was the secret nature of the transactions. Information was often sold in encrypted messaging apps, private chat rooms and direct messages on social media, which makes it difficult to track the people involved. However, Hybe remained vigilant and consistently provided the authorities when suspicious activities were found. Their persistence played a crucial role in the breakthrough of this case.

According to A arrest, entertainment agencies and industry experts have asked the airlines to carry out stricter measures in order to prevent such leaks from recurring. Despite earlier cases of unauthorized access to prominent travel editils, the agencies claim that airlines have no longer taken the question seriously. According to reports, unauthorized persons have repeatedly asked about the availability of seats, checked for flights after false preliminary walls and carried out seat modifications without proper examination. This has triggered concerns about internal security weaknesses within airlines, in particular with regard to the access of employees to private passenger data.

In the meantime, Hybe gave a fixed explanation of the case and emphasized her zero tolerance directive towards data protection violations: “The sale or purchase of illegally preserved flight information is a clear violation of the law that threatens the security of the artists, fear and a serious risk of airport and air safety. We will maintain a zero tolerance guideline for the reduction and trade of the personal information of the artists and, without settlements or forbearance, fully pursue legal steps, ”as reports of Yonhap.

Celebrities have been confronted with privacy for years due to the illegal trade of their flight data. Depending on the detailed degree of detail, the infiltrated information was sold at different prices. Basic information such as flight numbers and departure times were available for a lower fee, while premium buyers were able to access detailed personal travel records, including seat numbers and real-time updates on air changes.

This data was often misused by obsessive Sasaeng fans, the seats near idol bays that increase the same flights or manipulate reservations. Some even went so far to cancel or modify the flight agreements from celebrities, which led to significant disorders of their schedules. Others used the information to gather in large numbers of airports to create security risks for artists and passengers.