{
  "id": 2142147,
  "title": "Chinese national gets 20 years for hacking accounts of BTS' Jung Kook, others",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/chinese-national-gets-20-years-for-hacking-accounts-of-bts-jung-kook",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-20T13:32:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/law-crime/20260820/chinese-national-gets-20-years-for-hacking-accounts-of-bts-jung-kook-others"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A Chinese national, surnamed Chun, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison by a Seoul court for orchestrating a hacking scheme that targeted K-pop star Jung Kook and Korean business executives. The court convicted Chun of fraud and violating the information network act, stemming from the theft of over 38 billion won ($27.2 million) from his victims. Chun allegedly targeted wealthy individuals and stole their assets, causing them financial loss despite their innocence, unlike in voice phishing scams. The court noted that Chun showed no genuine remorse for his actions. Chun was charged with gathering personal information as part of an overseas criminal ring, including in Thailand, from August 2023 to January 2025. He activated mobile phones in the victims' names and transferred assets from their accounts. The investigation revealed that the targets included Jung Kook and a business tycoon from a major conglomerate. However, sources claim that the hacking group tried to steal an additional 8.4 billion won.",
  "summary": "A Seoul court on Thursday sentenced a Chinese national to 20 years in prison for leading a hacking scheme targeting K-pop group BTS member Jung Kook and Korean business executives. The Seoul Central District Court handed down the sentence to the Chinese national, surnamed Chun, on charges of fraud and violating the information network act, in connection with the theft of more than 38 billion won…",
  "key_points": [
    "Chinese national Chun sentenced to 20 years in Seoul court",
    "Hacking scheme targeted BTS Jung Kook and Korean executives",
    "Scheme stole over 38 billion won ($27.2 million)"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Chinese national gets 20 years for hacking accounts of BTS' Jung Kook, others",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/chinese-national-gets-20-years-for-hacking-accounts-of-bts-jung-kook-2147907",
        "published": "2026-08-20T14:07:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}