Husain Parvez
Published on: September 4, 2025
South Korea has arrested a 34-year-old Chinese national accused of leading a hacking ring that stole tens of millions of dollars from wealthy victims, including celebrities and business leaders. The suspect, identified by his surname Jeon, was extradited from Thailand on August 22 following a four-month pursuit involving Interpol and Thai officials, according to the Ministry of Justice.
Police said Jeon’s group operated overseas between August 2023 and January 2024, breaching telecom websites to steal personal data and then using it to open fraudulent mobile accounts. With those accounts, the group allegedly accessed bank, securities, and cryptocurrency platforms, siphoning assets worth more than 38 billion won (around $29 million). During a press briefing, authorities stated, “The suspect admits to some of the allegations while denying others.”
Among the high-profile victims was BTS singer Jungkook. Local media reported his securities account was nearly hacked after his military enlistment last year, but his brokerage froze payments before losses occurred. Bitdefender later noted that 33,500 HYBE shares, valued at 8.4 billion won, had been stolen, though some were recovered through court action.
South Korea’s justice ministry confirmed the victims also included corporate executives and technology entrepreneurs. A ministry spokesperson said, “We worked closely with Interpol and Thai authorities to track the suspect, who was arrested in Thailand within two weeks of confirmation of entry.”
Sixteen other members of the hacking ring have already been arrested. Investigators believe the group employed spear-phishing, credential stuffing, and possible malware variants to gain persistent access to accounts. Cybersecurity experts told GBHackers the tactics highlight “persistent risks in digital asset security and the need for robust endpoint detection and response mechanisms.”
Jeon appeared in a Seoul court for a pretrial detention hearing on Sunday. Police said they are continuing to analyze seized devices and plan to question him about potential additional crimes. Prosecutors are expected to pursue charges under South Korea’s Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes.
