"BTS's Jung Kook Nearly Lost 8.4 Billion Won" ... Chinese Mastermind Behind 38 Billion Won Hack Scheme Repatriated to South Korea

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[Financial News] The Chinese mastermind behind an international hacking ring that stole personal information from wealthy figures, including BTS member Jung Kook and heads of major conglomerates, and siphoned off assets worth about 38 billion won in stocks and cryptocurrency, was extradited to South Korea on the 13th.
The Ministry of Justice said it repatriated A, a 40-year-old Chinese national and the ring's mastermind, from Bangkok, Thailand, to Incheon International Airport on Wednesday morning in cooperation with the Korean National Police Agency. Another mastermind, accomplice B, 36, also a Chinese national, was repatriated in August last year and has already been indicted and detained.
A and his accomplices allegedly organized an international hacking group in Thailand and, from August 2023 to April last year, hacked government, public and private websites to obtain personal data on wealthy individuals. They then illegally activated MVNO accounts using that information, broke into financial accounts and cryptocurrency exchange accounts, and stole more than 38 billion won from 16 victims.
A and his group first extracted the resident registration numbers and other personal, financial and authentication data of 258 victims. They then narrowed the list down to a first-tier pool based on assets and selected a final target list of people who would have difficulty responding immediately because they were in a correctional facility or serving in the Republic of Korea Armed Forces, investigators said.
The victims included celebrities and wealthy figures such as BTS member Jung Kook, heads of major companies and legal professionals. In Jung Kook's case, HYBE shares worth 8.4 billion won were stolen, but the agency detected the breach and took measures such as suspending payments, preventing actual financial loss.
Working with the Korean National Police Agency and through a joint Interpol operation, the Ministry of Justice arrested B, a Chinese national and accomplice at the mastermind level, in Thailand in May last year, and also secured A's custody at the same scene. For extradition, the ministry requested emergency detention from Thai authorities in May last year so it could secure their custody first, and formally filed extradition requests in August of the same year.
After extradition proceedings in Thailand and approval from the Thai authorities, A was finally brought back to South Korea. B was repatriated last year and is currently on trial.
The ministry said it had continued close cooperation by dispatching a prosecutor and investigators to Thailand in July last year to meet officials from the Office of the Attorney General of Thailand and the Royal Thai Police. From October to December, it also held frequent video conferences with the Thai prosecutor's office.
The Ministry of Justice said, "We will continue to work closely with the Korean National Police Agency, MOFA and other relevant agencies to track down transnational crimes such as hacking and online fraud to the end and respond firmly."
bng@fnnews.com Kim Hee-sun Reporter