In a shocking update to Bang Si Hyuk’s (방시혁) ongoing court case, news outlets reported that the HYBE chairman may be facing arrest. The South Korean police have recently requested an arrest warrant for the music mogul over allegations of fraudulent and unfair trading.
On 21st April 2026 (Tuesday), the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Financial Crime Investigation Division announced that they’ve requested an arrest warrant for Bang Si Hyuk. This news comes amid accusations that the HYBE chairman has violated the Capital Markets Act for fraudulent and unfair trading.
Bang Si Hyuk has been the subject of an ongoing investigation involving his company’s 2020 initial public offering (IPO). To recap, authorities alleged that the producer had deceived investors and induced a specific private equity fund (PEF) to sell its stake in HYBE by claiming that the company had no plans for an IPO.
The police believe that Bang Si Hyuk received 30% of the profits from the sold shares, resulting in him obtaining roughly 190 billion won (approximately RM512 million) in illicit gains. However, throughout the investigations, Bang Si Hyuk maintained his innocence, saying he didn’t deceive the initial investors.
Following news of the police’s arrest warrant request, Bang Si Hyuk’s legal representative released a statement. His attorney said, “It is regrettable that an arrest warrant has been requested despite his sincere cooperation with the investigation over a long period of time. We will faithfully participate in future legal proceedings and do our utmost to clarify the facts.”
In related news, there were recently reports that the United States Embassy in Seoul has requested the police to lift Bang Si Hyuk’s travel ban to allow him to travel to the US for the North American leg of BTS’s “ARIRANG” tour. However, HYBE has denied involvement in the embassy’s purported request.
Sources: Soompi, The Straits Times
