Seoul Police Seek Arrest Warrant for HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk — Alleged ₩190B IPO Fraud

On April 21, 2026, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced it was seeking an arrest warrant for HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk in connection with allegations of fraudulent stock trading related to HYBE's 2020 IPO. Police alleged Bang misled early investors in 2019 — telling them HYBE had no plans to go public while simultaneously encouraging them to sell their stakes to a private equity fund tied to Bang. After HYBE's IPO, the fund sold its stake and Bang allegedly received approximately 190 billion won ($129.1 million) in illicit gains. Bang has been under a travel ban since August 2025 amid a Capital Markets Act investigation. The warrant announcement, covered by Bloomberg, Variety, NBC News, and Deadline, is the most significant legal crisis in HYBE's history. Bang is the company's founder and the creative architect behind BTS's global rise. HYBE released a statement pledging full cooperation with the investigation and expressing confidence in Bang's eventual exoneration. The development emerged four days before BTS opens the North American leg of the ARIRANG World Tour at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on April 25.