2 People Indicted Over Hacking Of Phones Of Joo Jin Mo, Ha Jung Woo, And More Celebrities

Two people have been indicted for the hacking of various celebrities’ phones.

It was previously reported that at least 10 celebrities, including actors Joo Jin Mo and Ha Jung Woo, had their cellphones hacked for around three months and were being blackmailed. The hacker is said to have been paid 600 million won (approximately $495,000) by at least five of the celebrities.

According to legal circles on April 10, chief public prosecutor Byun Pil Gun of the Seoul Supreme Prosecutor’s Office indicted two people with detention for blackmail and for violating the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, etc. The hackers are facing charges for threatening to release these celebrities’ personal information and asking for money.

Last month, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s cyber investigation team arrested the two hackers and they were investigated while in detention. The police then forwarded them to the prosecution on recommendation of indictment.

The initial news of the hacking was revealed in January, when Joo Jin Mo explained why he did not pay the hackers after his personal text messages with other actors were released to various media outlets. His personal statement explained his situation and he apologized to his fans and acquaintances.

The hacking of Ha Jung Woo’s phone was later brought to light in March, following reports that he was using Propofol, a sedative drug.

Although the two hackers have been arrested, the lead accomplice of the crime is said to have escaped to China and is currently being tracked down. These hackers committed these crimes by dividing themselves into individual roles. The lead accomplice oversaw the entire operation, while additional staff were in charge of hacking, blackmailing, and withdrawals.

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