Chinese Hacker Sentenced to 20 Years for Attempted BTS Member Theft
A South Korean court gave a 37-year-old Chinese national 20 years in prison for running a hacking scheme that targeted wealthy South Koreans, including BTS singer Jungkook.
A Seoul court sentenced Chinese citizen Jeon Mo to 20 years behind bars for leading a cyber-theft operation that targeted high-net-worth South Koreans from August 2023 through January 2025. The ring harvested personal information, opened phone lines in victims’ names and siphoned about 38 billion won from bank and virtual-asset accounts. Among the intended targets was BTS member Jungkook, whose HYBE share holdings worth 8.4 billion won were protected by automated security that stopped the transfer.
BigHit Music confirmed the attempted breach, restored the assets and announced upgraded safeguards for its talent. South Korea’s National Police Agency had earlier detained two suspects, including a 40-year-old Chinese figure dubbed “A” who was extradited from Bangkok. During the trial, Jeon Mo claimed a superior named Han Sung directed the plot, but investigators found no evidence of such a person.
Why it matters
The case highlights vulnerabilities of high-profile individuals to sophisticated cyber-crime and the importance of robust digital security.
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