Man posing as BTS member lands in jail: Report
A 28-year-old man was sent behind bars for impersonating a member of the world-renowned K-pop group, BTS, reportedly. On Monday, media outlet The Fact reported that the man approached one of the BigHit Music producers in 2022, and posed as a member to retrieve details of the group's unreleased music. Per reports, the imposter was sentenced to prison for one year and two months.
Why does this story matter?
Since their debut in 2013, the septet, consisting of members Jin, Suga, Jungkook, V, Jimin, J-Hope, and RM, rose to unprecedented fame, gaining a massive fan following not only in Korea but worldwide. Unfortunately, with their immense popularity, BTS members have also faced challenges as on multiple occasions they have become the targets of various crimes, including cyberbullying, physical attacks, and threats from stalkers.
What exactly happened?
In February 2022, a man contacted one of the producers, posing as a BTS member from his house in South Korea. Deceived by the man, the producer gave away the septet's group activity information and files of unreleased music. Reports suggest that the imposter publicly posted music files on Instagram 47 times and shared them with his acquaintances on a messaging app multiple times.
The man succumbed to social media: Lawyer pleaded for leniency
The lawyer of the impersonator pleaded for leniency by appealing that the man succumbed to social media as he was facing "difficulties in maintaining relationships due to his past criminal records." The lawyer further revealed that the man studied music before being arrested, and a student who studied with him had achieved fame. He "committed the crime with a desire to be like him."
Court's judgment: Imprisonment for a year
On Monday, Western District Criminal Division 9 of Daegu district announced the sentence of one year and two months. In addition to the prison term, the individual was also given three years of probation and ordered to complete 240 hours of community service. Furthermore, the man was ordered to attend 40 hours of mental and psychotherapy classes as part of rehabilitation.
