Three employees at affiliates of HYBE, the agency behind K-pop megastars BTS, have been charged without detention for alleged insider trading, prosecutors said Thursday.BTS members told fans on June 14, 2022, that they were taking a break from the supergroup to focus on their solo careers, citing exhaustion and the pressures of their stratospheric success.Many analysts said at the time the hiatus was strategic, with South Korea's mandatory 18-month military service looming for band members.
The employees worked for BTS for eight to 10 years since the group's debut, and therefore were "able to obtain this material information" that could "significantly impact investment decisions", Seoul Southern District Prosecutor's Office said in a statement sent to AFP.The three had worked in a team involved in producing BTS music videos, hair and clothing, as well as another protocol planning team, the statement said.