RM, Jungkook and Other Members Suffer Privacy Invasion
"Concern for Mental Health"... Spotlighted Overseas as Well
Concerns are growing among the global fandom as incidents of BTS members' personal information being accessed or leaked to third parties without authorization continue.
Earlier on the 1st, BTS member 'RM' shared an article on his personal social media account stating that his identity information had been accessed by a 'KORAIL' employee. Although he did not comment further on the post, he added a '^^;; (sweating smile)' emoticon.
Fans who saw the news responded with concern. Comments included, "Accessing personal information is clearly a crime," "How can they casually look at identity information just because someone is a celebrity," and "They must be severely punished."
On the same day, KORAIL revealed that employee A, who was in charge of IT development, had accessed RM's ticket information, address, and phone number a total of 18 times over three years starting in 2019.
A reportedly told a colleague, "I checked RM's reservation details and went to see the actual ticket," and after receiving this tip, KORAIL's audit office conducted an internal investigation confirming A's unauthorized access. KORAIL is known to have suspended A and is proceeding with disciplinary measures.
However, the audit found no evidence that A leaked the personal information externally. KORAIL plans to take measures to prevent such incidents from recurring.
This is not the first time RM's private life has leaked to third parties. In January, RM visited a temple for a temple stay and confided his personal concerns to the head monk. At that time, the temple disclosed RM's visit, sparking controversy over privacy invasion.
RM, known for his deep appreciation of art and culture, is known to quietly visit art galleries and temples and share those experiences with fans. This has become known as the so-called 'RM Tour' and has become a tourist attraction for fans. Usually, RM himself shares his visit experiences, but this time the temple made the 'pre-disclosure.'
At that time, RM posted a brief message on his personal SNS saying, "Next time, I will quietly visit another temple," and some fans expressed dissatisfaction, saying it was "thoughtless" and an "invasion of privacy."
In September 2019, CCTV photos of another BTS member, Jungkook, were leaked. At that time, the agency BigHit (now HYBE) filed a police complaint against two individuals, including a karaoke room staff member in Geoje city, for violating the Personal Information Protection Act by posting the photos.
The leakage of members' personal information is a major concern not only for the victims and their agency but also for the global fandom. The overseas K-pop specialized internet media 'Koreaboo' reported on the incident of RM's personal information being accessed, stating, "This is not the first time RM's privacy has been violated," and pointed out that "many fans are worried about RM's mental health."
Meanwhile, last month, a former Ministry of Foreign Affairs employee who tried to sell Jungkook's hat on a secondhand trading site was summarily indicted.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
