On January 5, Choi Jun Won, CEO of Weverse Company, released an official statement addressing the data breach, saying that the incident should be viewed not simply as a single employee’s misconduct, but as a major failure in the company’s internal management. He apologized for the inconvenience caused to users and acknowledged the company’s responsibility in the matter.
According to Choi, an employee identified as “A” shared the personal information of a fan who had applied for an autograph event in a group chat with acquaintances. The CEO, while confirming that the data was disclosed improperly, clarified that there was no manipulation of the event results or the selection of winners.
Choi also revealed that the employee involved had been referred to the company’s disciplinary committee and reported to authorities on charges related to breach of duty and obstruction of business. Legal action has already been initiated against the individual.
Furthermore, the CEO outlined measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. Stressing that the issue should not be treated as the fault of a single staff member, he said the company will quickly address weaknesses in its fan event processes. Planned measures include stricter access controls for fan event systems, stronger supervision at every stage of the event and improved training on personal data protection standards for all employees.
The controversy emerged after online communities and social media circulated screenshots of conversations purportedly between the Weverse employee and his acquaintances. The messages reportedly contained sensitive information such as the identity of a specific event winner, the number of albums purchased, and details related to event confirmations signed by fans.
After the employee was identified as a Weverse staff member, the company reportedly contacted the affected user directly to admit that his or her personal data had been disclosed by an employee responsible for fan events and apologized.
Weverse is a major global fan platform that hosts artists not only from HYBE, such as BTS and SEVENTEEN, but also from other agencies, including BLACKPINK, EXO, and NCT. Fans use the platform to communicate closely with artists, attend concerts and purchase official merchandise, making trust and data security a key concern for its global user base.
Sources: Daum
