A foreign airline employee has been caught illegally selling flight details of K-pop idols. Authorities confirmed that the suspect, a 30-something female, is currently under investigation.
🚨 Foreign Airline Employee Caught
- The Seoul Metropolitan Police Cyber Investigation Unit told Dispatch on the 25th that they had successfully arrested a Hong Kong-based airline staff member who had been leaking idol flight information for profit.
- "Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, we cannot disclose full details of the arrest. However, the suspect will be prosecuted under South Korean law," the police stated.
💰 Illegally Selling Flight Information
- The suspect accessed confidential flight records and sold over 1,000 travel details, including those of BTS and other celebrities, from 2023 onwards.
- Using internal airline databases, she retrieved details such as flight numbers, schedules, and passenger manifests.
- She initially provided the info as a favor to acquaintances but later monetized the data, earning over 10 million KRW (~$7,500 USD).
✈️ Idol Flight Data Was Widely Sold Online
- On platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Telegram, dozens of listings offering celebrity flight details were found.
- Illegally obtained flight data enabled sasaeng (obsessive) fans to book the same flights, secretly record idols, or even alter their flight bookings to cause schedule disruptions.
⚠️ Entertainment Industry Taking Action
- Some K-pop agencies have formally requested that airlines and travel agencies strengthen security measures against data leaks.
- Authorities have tracked down other sellers involved in the black-market sale of idol flight data, and some have already been handed over to prosecution.
