The Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office has rejected the police’s request to arrest the HYBE chairman and sent the case back for supplementary investigation.
That means Bang Si-hyuk will not be taken into custody for now. The case, however, remains ongoing. Prosecutors cited a lack of justification for detention at this stage. Reports said they also viewed his flight risk as low, especially because he remains under a travel ban.
Investigation Amid HYBE Pre-IPO Plan
The investigation focuses on HYBE’s 2019 pre-IPO share transactions. Police allege Bang misled existing investors by telling them the company had no plans to go public. Persuaded them to sell their stakes in a private equity linked to him. Investigators believe he later benefited from side agreements tied to post-IPO profits, with alleged gains estimated at around 190 billion to 200 billion won.
The inquiry is reportedly being handled as a suspected Capital Markets Act violation, and police have summoned Bang at least five times after the investigation began. Authorities also searched HYBE headquarters and the Korea Exchange last summer.
Official Statement of Bang’s Legal Team
Bang’s legal team said he had shown “full and consistent cooperation” with investigators over an extended period and expressed regret that police pursued a detention warrant despite that cooperation.
His side has denied the allegations. Bang’s lawyers have argued that the transactions were made at the investors’ own request and denied claims that he deliberately misled them about HYBE’s listing plans.
Travel Ban on Bang
Another issue is Bang’s overseas travel ban, which has been in place since August 2025. And that restriction remains unchanged even after the warrant rejection. The matter drew wider attention after the U.S. Embassy in Seoul reportedly asked for a temporary lift so Bang could travel for BTS-related U.S. events.
That has also fueled questions about the BTS 2026 tour impact. So, there has been no official change to BTS’s schedule, and the group’s 2026 tour plans have continued as planned.
For now, prosecutors have only rejected detention for the moment and told police to continue investigating before any next legal step is decided.
