Police have announced that they will examine the reasons that led prosecutors to once again reject the request for an arrest warrant for HYBE president Bang Si Hyuk before deciding whether to reapply.
According to police authorities, on May 18, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Commissioner Park Jung Bo addressed the issue during a regular press conference held at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
Park said: “We intend to analyze the reasons why the prosecution decided not to request the arrest warrant and determine the future direction of the investigation.” He added, “We will thoroughly examine whether there are further documents or evidence that need to be integrated and, while respecting the opinion of the prosecution, we will decide whether to reapply for the arrest warrant.”
bang si hyuk police investigation
" data-large-file="https://cdn.kbizoom.com/media/2025/09/15012619/bang-si-hyuk-police-investigation-thumbnail-20250915t010058000z.webp" alt="Bang si hyuk police investigation" class="wp-image-872269" style="width:810px;height:auto" srcset="https://cdn.kbizoom.com/media/2025/09/15012619/bang-si-hyuk-police-investigation-thumbnail-20250915t010058000z.webp 658w, https://cdn.kbizoom.com/media/2025/09/15012619/bang-si-hyuk-police-investigation-thumbnail-20250915t010058000z-300x300.webp 300w, https://cdn.kbizoom.com/media/2025/09/15012619/bang-si-hyuk-police-investigation-thumbnail-20250915t010058000z-600x600.webp 600w, https://cdn.kbizoom.com/media/2025/09/15012619/bang-si-hyuk-police-investigation-thumbnail-20250915t010058000z-400x400.webp 400w, https://cdn.kbizoom.com/media/2025/09/15012619/bang-si-hyuk-police-investigation-thumbnail-20250915t010058000z-200x200.webp 200w" sizes="(max-width: 658px) 100vw, 658px"/>On May 6, the Financial and Financial Crimes Joint Investigation Division at the Seoul Southern District Prosecutor’s Office rejected the arrest warrant request submitted by the Financial Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. Prosecutors explained that previously requested requests for additional investigations had not been met.
This marked the second time the warrant request was denied. On April 24, prosecutors had already rejected the request, saying that there was currently insufficient explanation and evidence to justify detention at this stage.
Amid repeated requests for dismissal and requests for additional investigations, speculation emerged suggesting possible tensions between prosecutors and police over the investigation. However, Commissioner Park rejected such interpretations, stating: “The prosecution is faithfully fulfilling its responsibilities, and the police are also faithfully fulfilling their duties from a police perspective.”
Meanwhile, HYBE became the first South Korean entertainment company to be listed on the KOSPI stock market in October 2020.
However, allegations later emerged that Bang Si Hyuk told investors that there were no plans for HYBE to go public before allegedly encouraging them to sell their shares to a specific private equity fund. Investors reportedly sold their holdings based on Bang’s statements, while suspicions remain that HYBE was already preparing pre-IPO procedures around the same time.
Sources: Daum
