TWICE member Nayeon [Photograph by Yoo Dae-gil = dbeorlf123@ajunews.com]
SEOUL -- JYP Entertainment warned of action against brokers who were involved in the leaking of girl band TWICE's flight information.
"We are in the process of identifying flight information brokers through multiple channels and we continue to review the possibility and level of legal action based on the information we have identified so far," JYP said in a statement uploaded onto the nine-member band's online fan community on Wednesday.
Any violators who illegally distribute flight information can receive a jail sentence of up to three years and those who acquire such information using illegal methods can also be punished.
A stalking incident involving TWICE member Nayeon prompted JYP to take strong legal action. The 24-year-old was bullied by an overseas stalker on a flight back from Japan on January 1. Although there was no direct damage, the singer was put under police protection because she expressed discomfort and anxiety after encountering the stalker.
Flight information related to K-pop celebrities has been often sold by brokers to Sasaeng, a K-pop term for overly enthusiastic fans who do not hesitate to directly interfere with stars' private lives. Sasaeng fans use illegally obtained flight information to book seats close to K-pop stars or wait at terminals.
"Airport workers are sometimes lured to leak flight information because brokers offer so much money," an Incheon International Airport official told Aju News on condition of anonymity.
JYP urged fans to keep order at airports, saying airport terminals are public places and fans should not cause inconveniences to travelers. JIhyo, a TWICE member, suffered a leg injury after she was toppled over at an airport in Gimpo on December 8 last year when fans rushed to take photographs.
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