The personal freedom of the BTS members seems to be compromised. A side effect of being global superstars? Definitely not.

Last March, according to the Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL), an employee assigned to information technology (IT) development had unlawfully accessed personal information of BTS's RM, ranging from his ticket information to his home address and phone number, over a span of three years since 2019. This incident, revealed in an internal audit, came as a significant shock to both the public and RM himself.

Upon receiving a tip-off that the employee had "checked RM's reservation history to catch a glimpse of him in person", KORAIL launched an investigation. Although an official commented that "this employee accessed personal information without permission, but we found no signs of data leaks," the implicated employee was eventually dismissed.

Even private conversations have been exposed. RM took a personal retreat at Gurye Hwaeomsa last December with a friend. However, his casual chat about military service with Monk Deokmun was awkwardly revealed as part of Hwaeomsa's promotional material.

It's well known that RM often visits Hwaeomsa to share his warmth and draw musical inspiration. However, after seeing his personal conversation disclosed without his consent, he expressed his regrets on his own social media, stating, "I appreciate the good times, but I didn't expect an article about it. Next time, I'll visit a different temple quietly."

BTS's Jin, currently serving in the military, also seems to be having trouble finding peace. According to the military on the 19th, a female nursing officer in her 20s is under investigation by the Ministry of Defense for approaching Jin under the pretense of vaccination. The incident occurred when an officer from the 28th Division visited the 5th Division just to administer a shot to Jin.

The investigation into this incident began after a complaint was lodged within the military. However, the said officer claims she didn't go AWOL to meet Jin. For Jin, it's an uncomfortable situation having the Ministry of Defense's investigation launched due to a routine vaccination that all personnel in the unit received.

BTS has captivated the world with their music and carried out extraordinary acts of patriotism. With Jin and J-Hope currently enlisted, the remaining members are either undertaking individual activities or taking personal breaks. Yet, they seem to still be trapped in the 'prison' of popularity.

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