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Manila Bulletin devider Entertainment devider Hong Kong-based airline employee caught selling flight details of BTS, other Korean celebrities

Hong Kong-based airline employee caught selling flight details of BTS, other Korean celebrities

Published Feb 27, 2025 08:56 am

Korean police caught a Hong Kong-based airline employee after she was found selling flight details of Korean celebrities including BTS.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Cyber ​​Investigation Unit announced its investigation of a Chinese woman in her 30s on charges of selling flight information of dozens of celebrities from 2023 to 2024.

The woman, an employee of a foreign airline, was found to have earned about 10 million won (about $6,900) by selling 1,000 pieces of celebrity flight information that she found through a work program that could search details for airlines around the world.

incheon1.jpg

The arrival area at Incheon International Airport (Jonathan Hicap)BTS3.jpg

BTS (Big Hit Music)

During the investigation by the Korean police, the suspect said, “At first, I did it because an acquaintance asked me to, but later I sold it for money,” Korean media reported.

A Korean police official said, “It was investigated that she found out the flight information by entering the celebrities’ real names and dates of birth.”

The reports stated that the suspect sold each piece of information for 30,000 to 40,000 won (about $21 to $28).

She sold specific information, such as famous celebrities like BTS or airplane seat numbers, for a premium.

“There is a risk that illegally traded information can lead to stalking, such as attempting to contact celebrities by boarding the same plane as them,” the police official said.

In response, Korean entertainment agencies have requested the police to investigate the leak of celebrity flight information.

In June last year, cases of social media users who sold flight information of celebrities under HYBE company for hundreds of millions of won were sent to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office.

A HYBE official said, “When flight information is leaked, there are times when flight reservations are canceled outright due to safety concerns, such as crowds at the airport,” the news report added.

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