On June 18th, HYBE revealed that they had been notified of the prosecution of SNS account operators who were believed to have obtained and traded flight information of their artists illegally.
Based on the police investigation, it was discovered that the suspects had earned anywhere from tens of millions to hundreds of millions of won by selling flight information belonging to Korean artists. This was done through illegal means, as they would trade the artists’ flight information through online messages.
The activities of artists and the operation of entertainment agencies have been adversely affected by certain incidents, including alterations to artists’ seating arrangements or in-flight meals, as well as disruptions to their schedules due to flight reservation cancellations.
On June 11th, NCT DREAM member Renjun expressed his frustration with the issue through the group’s fan communication platform, stating, “Even during my personal schedules, they followed me. It’s like having scary stalkers. They even took photos of me while I was sleeping on the plane. It’s a huge burden for me.”
He asked, “How did you discover my ticket details and end up sitting next to me? They even responded brazenly, ‘I didn’t stalk you’,”he added. “It genuinely caused me stress. There are plenty of ways to show love and interest in someone, there’s no need to resort to extreme measures.”
In the past, BTS member V expressed his frustration and discomfort caused by sasaeng fans. During a 2019 Naver VLIVE broadcast, V revealed, “We usually prefer to take regular flights, but unfortunately there are those who are aware of our flight plans and purposely try to sit near us or in front of us. It’s quite suffocating and we are unable to have any personal space to ourselves. To be frank, I hope they will refrain from doing so in the future. It can be quite unsettling.”
HYBE’s recent notice highlighted the severity of illegally obtaining and selling flight information. They emphasized that these actions not only invade the artists’ personal lives and cause them anxiety, but also pose a serious threat to safety at airports and during flights. HYBE also made it clear that they will not tolerate any criminal acts, such as trading artists’ personal information, and will take legal action without hesitation or consent.
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