The person, an ex-government employee, has been indicted for trying to sell BTS Jungkook's missing hat for $7,000.
A former Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff garnered criticism from BTS fans after he posted Jungkook's missing belonging on the online flea market platform Bungae Jangteo. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Korea launched a probe into the incident, and the ex-government employee has since been indicted.
Former Government Employee Faces Embezzlement Charges
Legal sources confirmed Tuesday that prosecutors indicted the unnamed former Foreign Ministry Office employee for trying to sell BTS Jungkook's missing hat online.
The former staff's identity has been withheld. It was later revealed that he acquired it after Jungkook left it at the ministry building when he applied for a passport. He said he acquired ownership of the hat since no one claimed it for six months after it was reported as lost property.
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"When BTS members visited the Passport Division to create diplomatic passports, Jungkook left this bucket hat in the waiting area. After reporting the hat as lost property, we waited for six months, but there was no phone call or visit to acquire the hat. Therefore, the person who found the hat now has ownership," the former staff explained.
He deleted the post and surrendered voluntarily to the police.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office is reportedly seeking to fine him for embezzlement charges. Meanwhile, HYBE is yet to respond whether the hat truly belonged to Jungkook, but prosecutors plan to return the hat to the idol.
The recent indictment came months after the Seoul Seocho Police Station revealed that the seller admitted to the wrongdoing. He reportedly revealed during the probe that he quit working for the ministry after the incident.
Why BTS Jungkook Is Not Active on Social Media
In other news, Jungkook recently revealed the real reason why he has been inactive online.
During his live session on BTS' Weverse, the maknae clarified that he is not working on a new album. Rather, he is currently putting a stop to everything — including his online activities.
"I have put an all stop, on preparing my album, and I think it's become like a habit. I haven't been doing anything, and I like this, not doing anything," he said. "And I think I have said this before, but if I was to be reborn, I want to be a rock. And I feel like right now I am like a rock."
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