According to a report by LawTalk News on July 8, the Seoul Administrative Court in April denied the appeal of Mr. A, who sought to have his overseas travel restriction lifted, citing his son’s career as an idol singer and the need for international business travel.
Mr. A is accused of collecting nearly ₩2.9 trillion from victims over a period of approximately 17 months, starting in September 2022, under the pretense of promising high returns through a digital investment platform. The case is currently under investigation by South Korean police, and the Ministry of Justice imposed a travel ban in April 2024, which has been extended monthly since.
In his legal challenge, Mr. A argued that he had cooperated with the investigation, that his family—including his idol son—resides in Korea, and that he posed no flight risk. He claimed the travel ban was damaging his business operations, which require frequent overseas trips.
However, the court firmly dismissed his arguments, stating that the seriousness of the charges and the complexity of the ongoing investigation warranted the travel restriction.
“The accused has a history of frequent international travel prior to the initial travel ban,” the court noted. “Given the gravity of the allegations and the likelihood of a prolonged investigation, lifting the travel ban could obstruct justice.”
The court also dismissed the notion that having a K-pop idol son minimized the risk of flight, emphasizing that public interest in preserving the integrity of the investigation outweighed any personal or business inconveniences.
Efforts to obtain a statement from the idol’s agency have been unsuccessful, with no official response provided as of this writing.
This case has stirred discussion within the entertainment industry and among fans, as the identity of the idol involved remains undisclosed, but speculation continues to grow online.