Credit: Yonhap News
A South Korean court has moved to freeze HYBE chairman Bang Si Hyuk ‘s shares as investigators look into allegations of fraudulent stock dealings.
According to legal insiders on December 5th, the Seoul Southern District Court accepted a pre-indictment request from prosecutors on November 19th, ordering a freeze on Bang’s HYBE shares valued at 156.8 billion KRW (approximately 106 million USD).
The freeze is a “preservation for forfeiture” measure—a step taken to prevent a suspect from disposing of assets that authorities believe may be tied to criminal profit. If a trial later rules that the gains should be confiscated, the assets remain intact and recoverable. The request was made by the Seoul Metropolitan Police’s Financial Crimes Unit and filed through the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office.
A HYBE representative responded, stressing that “a preservation order is a routine procedural step and does not determine guilt or innocence,” adding that the company has “cooperated fully during the investigation and is awaiting the authorities’ conclusion.”
Bang is under investigation for allegedly misleading HYBE investors in 2019 by claiming there were no plans for a stock-market listing, then selling shares to a private equity fund under that pretense—only to take the company public later.
Police also suspect that, under a confidential agreement with that fund, Bang received 30% of the post-IPO sale profits, earning roughly 190 billion KRW (approximately 130 million USD) in allegedly illicit gains. The investigation is ongoing.
Jungkook and Winter Dating Rumors Explode With Alleged Evidence
Could BTS Jungkook’s Dating Rumors Be Tied to HYBE’s Legal Crisis?
Meanwhile, viral rumors about BTS’s Jungkook and aespa’s Winter being in a relationship have sparked widespread attention. Netizens quickly pointed out that these rumors began circulating around the same time news broke about Bang Si Hyuk’s assets being frozen by the court. Many online users have expressed suspicion, suggesting that the timing of the dating rumors may be an attempt to distract from the ongoing investigation into HYBE’s founder. Some users also noticed that a new account suddenly revived the rumors and quickly gained millions of views.
now i understand why there are viral tweets spreading the dating rumor between Jungkook and Winter with that fake tattoo. Hybe and Bighit is using JK to cover up Bang PD’s fraud crimes look, these accounts had fewer than 10 tweets until today https://t.co/2N916yJ6I0 pic.twitter.com/cMrdZlokva — ? (@DDD0IA) December 4, 2025
