The incident continues to raise concerns about the situation of overzealous fans seeking to access the private space of K-pop idols.
According to information from functional agencies, Yongsan Police Station has prosecuted two suspects on charges of illegally entering their residence. The two people are believed to have appeared at CORTIS's dormitory in Yongsan district at about 2 am on July 23.
The incident was discovered when the group's manager returned to the dormitory and noticed many unusual signs. Some packages placed in front of the door were opened, while the entrance door was not closed. Suspecting that strangers had broken in, the manager immediately reported to the police.
After receiving the news, functional forces quickly arrived at the scene and inspected the entire building. The two women were later discovered on another floor in the apartment building and were taken to the station for investigation.
During the process of working with the police, the two suspects confessed that they bought the dormitory address of CORTIS through social networks before coming. However, they denied directly opening the packages or breaking into the group's apartment. Currently, the police are still collecting evidence, extracting security camera footage and comparing testimony to clarify the entire diễn biến of the incident.
Notably, this is not the first time a K-pop artist has become the target of privacy infringement. Just over a month ago, Jung Kook (BTS) was also a victim of a similar incident. A woman over 30 years old was arrested by South Korean police after being accused of repeatedly entering the password to open the male singer's apartment on the day he was discharged from the army. This person confessed that he came to South Korea with the aim of meeting Jung Kook directly. The incident at that time shocked public opinion and sparked much debate about the situation of overzealous fans disregarding legal boundaries to approach their idols.
In recent years, many Korean entertainment companies have continuously warned about the dissemination or illegal trading of artists' personal information, including addresses, phone numbers and schedules, online. There are many cases of overzealous fans coming to dormitories, private homes or following artists in daily activities, seriously affecting their personal lives as well as their safety.
Before this incident, Big Hit Entertainment had repeatedly affirmed that it would take strong legal measures against all acts of privacy infringement and threats to the safety of members. The company said it would not compromise with illegal surveillance, dissemination of personal information or access to artists' residences.
Currently, South Korean police are continuing to investigate to determine the origin of information about CORTIS's dormitory address, clarify how the two suspects approached the group's living area and consider related acts before making a final conclusion.
