Bang Si-hyuk’s legal troubles took a major turn on April 21. According to news agencies and media outlets, the Financial Crime Investigation Division of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency formally requested an arrest warrant for the HYBE chairman over alleged fraud and unfair trading linked to HYBE’s pre-IPO share deals.
What happened today?
Police said the Bang Si-hyuk arrest warrant request was filed on April 21 after a Long-running investigation
into possible illegal stock market activity. Investigators reportedly believe they have finished gathering all the evidence and facts. Now, it has moved to the warrant stage.
What are the HYBE IPO fraud allegations?
Investigators believe that in 2019, HYBE went public and Bang Si-hyuk intentionally misled early shareholders. He told the investors that the company had no plans to go public soon or that the listing would be significantly delayed.
Because the investors believed that the company wouldn’t be listed on the stock market for a long time, they were convinced to sell their shares early. These investors sold their shares to a private equity fund that was allegedly secretly linked to Bang.
Authorities assume those shares were later sold at a much higher valuation once the IPO went ahead. Investigators say Bang made roughly ₩190 billion in his personal profit, or about $136 million.
HYBE’s response and Bang’s side
HYBE has previously said that it is cooperating sincerely with investigators. But Bang’s legal team pushed back hard; they denied the allegations and insisted that he did not commit any unlawful act, according to statements released after the warrant request.
Why his travel ban is also getting attention
The Bang Si-hyuk travel ban has been in place since August 2025, so he currently cannot leave South Korea. And that has become part of the wider story: Reuters reported that the U.S. Embassy in Seoul sent a letter asking authorities to review the restriction on Bang and other HYBE executives, citing BTS’s global tour-related schedules and U.S. Independence Day events.
Is Bang Si-hyuk going to jail?
Not yet. Police have asked for an arrest warrant, but the court still has to decide whether to issue it. Is HYBE’s stock price going down? The case is putting HYBE under intense investor analysis, though day-to-day movement still depends on overall market sentiment.
If the court approves the warrant, Bang could be taken into custody while the case moves forward.
