Overview
- South Korea’s Seoul Metropolitan Police sought a detention warrant Tuesday for HYBE chairman Bang Si-hyuk over suspected investor fraud linked to the company’s 2020 initial public offering.
- Investigators say that in 2019 he told some early holders there was no plan to list and directed their shares to a private equity fund tied to his associates.
- Police allege the fund later sold after HYBE went public and paid Bang about 30% of the profits, giving him roughly 190 billion won, which he disputes.
- Bang says he has cooperated with the probe and remains under an overseas travel ban imposed in August 2025 after five rounds of police questioning.
- The Korean National Police say the U.S. Embassy asked for a temporary travel allowance for Bang and other HYBE executives for July 4 events and BTS tour talks, a request HYBE denies prompting and the embassy would not elaborate on.