Seoul Police to Re-evaluate Bang Si-hyuk Arrest Warrant After Two Rejections

After two rejected arrest warrant bids, Seoul police review whether to try again with HYBE’s Bang Si-hyuk (Reports)

May 20, 2026 By Mandy Dalugdug

Seoul police are reviewing whether to file a third arrest warrant request for HYBE founder and chairman Bang Si-hyuk – after prosecutors rejected two previous attempts.

That’s according to multiple Korean news outlets, including Seoul Economic Daily , which reported that Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Commissioner Park Jung-bo addressed the matter at a press briefing on Monday (May 18).

Park said police would analyze the reasons behind the prosecution’s decision before determining their next steps, according to the outlet.

“We plan to analyze the reasons for the non-request and decide on the future direction of the investigation,” Park said, according to Seoul Economic Daily .

“We will review whether there is anything to supplement in the records, respecting the prosecution’s opinion, before making a decision.”

> “We plan to analyze the reasons for the non-request and decide on the future direction of the investigation.” Park Jung-bo, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency

The commissioner acknowledged a difference in perspective between the two agencies but pushed back on speculation about inter-agency tension.

“We may have different views from the prosecution, but the police did our best,” Park said, according to Seoul Economic Daily .

The latest comments mark the next chapter in a legal saga that has been running since late 2024 – and which has escalated through 2026 alongside the return of BTS to the global touring stage.

Police first applied for an arrest warrant for Bang on April 21.

Prosecutors rejected that request on April 24, citing insufficient evidence and requesting further investigation.

Police refiled the warrant on April 30, but prosecutors returned it again on May 6, stating that the supplementary investigation they had requested had not been completed.

Bang is accused of misleading investors in 2019 by telling them that HYBE (then known as Big Hit Entertainment ) had no plans to pursue an initial public offering, while the company was allegedly already undergoing pre-IPO procedures.

Investors reportedly sold their holdings to a private equity fund based on those assurances.

Police believe Bang had signed a private agreement with the private equity fund in advance, receiving 30% of post-listing sale profits, according to Seoul Economic Daily .

Bang has denied the allegations, saying the IPO followed the law and regulations.

His attorney previously said it was “regrettable that an arrest warrant was requested despite long-term sincere cooperation with the investigation,” according to Seoul Economic Daily .

“We will faithfully participate in future legal proceedings and do our best to explain our position.”

The investigation has been running for approximately 18 months .

Investigators raided the Korea Exchange and HYBE ‘s headquarters in 2025, and Bang returned to Seoul from the United States in August that year to face the investigation.

He has been under a travel ban since and was questioned by police multiple times between September and November 2025.

The probe has coincided with BTS’s return to the global stage.

The group’s BTS WORLD TOUR ARIRANG – which HYBE describes as the largest-scale world tour in K-pop history – kicked off in April and is currently in the midst of its US leg.

The US Embassy in Seoul recently sent a letter to the Korean police requesting that Bang and other HYBE executives be permitted to travel to the United States, citing the tour.

HYBE has said it did not request the embassy’s intervention.

The company posted record Q1 2026 revenue of 698.3 billion won (approximately $477 million ), up 39.5% YoY , driven by the BTS comeback. Music Business Worldwide

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_Originally reported by [Music Business Worldwide](https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/after-two-rejected-arrest-warrant-bids-seoul-police-review-whether-to-try-again-with-hybes-bang-si-hyuk-reports/)._