Bang Si-hyuk faces arrest warrant ahead of departure to the U.S. .. Police to prove allegations of fraudulent transactions [Comprehensive]

*This content was translated by AI.

With the police applying for an arrest warrant against Bang Si-hyuk, Chairman of HYBE, regarding allegations of "fraudulent transactions," attention is focused on his future actions and the final outcome.

On the 21st, the police applied for an arrest warrant against Bang Si-hyeok (Chairman).

_NAME_0__ is accused of deceiving existing investors before HYBE's listing in 2019 by claiming there were no plans for an initial public offering (IPO), and then inducing them to sell their shares to a special purpose corporation (SPC) established by a private equity fund (PEF) created by HYBE executives.

The police suspect that Bang Si-hyeok (Chairman) received 30% of the profits from post-listing sales in accordance with a non-disclosure agreement previously reached with the private equity fund side, thereby gaining approximately 190 billion won in illicit profits.

After conducting an extensive investigation, the police imposed a travel ban on Bang Si-hyeok (Chairman) in August 2025 and conducted a total of five rounds of questioning.

_NAME_0__'s side maintains that they complied with relevant laws and regulations at the time of the company's listing and that there are no legal issues, and the related investigation has now completed its legal review.

Meanwhile, it is reported that the U.S. Embassy in Korea recently sent a letter to Acting National Police Agency Director Yoo Jae-sung requesting cooperation to allow Bang Si-hyeok (Chairman) and other senior HYBE executives to visit the United States. The stated reasons for the visit reportedly include participation in the U.S. 250th Independence Day celebrations scheduled for July 4 and support for BTS's U.S. concerts while the group is on its world tour.

In response, the police stated regarding the U.S. Embassy in Korea's request to lift the travel ban on Bang Si-hyeok (Chairman): "We have not received any such request at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. If a request is made, we will review its validity and act in accordance with the law and principles." They further added, "The investigation is nearly complete. We are currently conducting a legal review and expect to conclude it within a short period."

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*This content was translated by AI.