Overview

• The Financial Supervisory Service concluded its investigation into Bang Si-hyuk in May and fast-tracked the suspected stock manipulation case to prosecutors.
• Authorities allege Bang struck a secret deal with a private equity fund that let insiders buy shares cheaply before HYBE’s 2020 IPO, generating about $290 million in profits.
• HYBE has publicly denied all wrongdoing in response to the fraud and culture allegations.
• Former communications director Elly Chae Eun said she was unfairly dismissed in 2017 after reporting extreme stress and witnessing what she called a greed-driven, toxic corporate environment.
• Elly praised BTS members as deserving shareholders and emphasized that later executives—not the band—benefited from the disputed stock transactions.