South Korean police seek indictment of K-pop mogul behind BTS

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean police are pushing for an indictment of music tycoon Bang Si-Hyuk, the chairperson of the agency behind K-pop supergroup BTS, over alleged investor fraud.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency referred Bang to the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office on Thursday, asking him to be indicted on a charge of violating the capital markets act, according to the police agency and the prosecutor’s office.

Police have been investigating Bang, the billionaire founder and chairperson of Hybe, over allegations that he misled investors in 2019 by indicating that Hybe had no immediate plans to go public, prompting them to sell their shares to a private equity fund shortly before the company proceeded with an initial public offering.

Police earlier said that the fund may have paid Bang somewhere around 200 billion won ($147 million) in a side deal that promised him 30% of post-IPO stock sale profits.

South Korean media reported that police referred four other people, including Hybe executives and private equity fund officials, to prosecutors on Thursday as well, asking for their indictment.

Hybe officials have said Bang denies any wrongdoing.

“We have consistently responded to the allegations with objective evidence and facts," Bang's legal team said in a statement Thursday. "We expect the allegations to be fully and transparently resolved through the legal process.”

Police earlier sought Bang’s arrest twice in April and May. But prosecutors rejected those requests, saying police failed to provide sufficient grounds for his arrest and failed to comply with prosecutors' demand for further investigation of Bang.

Observers say prosecutors could again ask for further police investigation, rather than indicting Bang immediately.

News of Bang’s legal troubles flared after BTS returned and launched a much-awaited world tour earlier this year after a nearly four-year musical hiatus due to the band members’ mandatory military service in South Korea.

FILE - Bang Si-Hyuk, a chairman of Hybe, answers reporters' question upon his arrival at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in Seoul, South Korea, on Sept. 15, 2025. (Kim Keun-soo/Newsis via AP, File)

Iran fired at Kuwait Thursday, continuing its retaliation for U.S. bombardments earlier in the week. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to unite Israel's right wing before elections this October.

Here’s a look at the latest developments in the Iran war and the wider Middle East. Full coverage can be found here.

Sirens sounded in Kuwait early Thursday, where air defenses intercepted missile and drone attacks during a “blatant Iranian aggression,” the country’s Ministry of Defense said on X.

It came after U.S. allies Bahrain and Jordan said their air defense systems intercepted several Iranian air attacks Wednesday.

Fighting between the U.S. and Iran has increased this week after the U.S. hit Iranian rocket launchers on an island in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, saying Iran was planning to use them to shoot mines into the waterway.

With his legacy on the line, Netanyahu is imploring his erstwhile allies to unite into larger parties that have a better chance of entering parliament.

A series of small, pro-Netanyahu parties are competing in the run-up to the Oct. 27 vote. But instead of strengthening the Israeli leader, these parties — including hard-line blocs led by polarizing Cabinet ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich — risk weakening his chances for reelection by splitting the vote among Netanyahu’s base.

The election is largely a referendum on Netanyahu’s nearly uninterrupted 17-year rule and his handling of a turbulent period marked by mass protests, Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks and nearly three years of war. A victory would mark a stirring comeback for the embattled leader, while a loss would likely end the reign of a man who has shaped Israeli politics for three decades.

Birds gather around litter on a beach as commercial vessels lie anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. (Razieh Poudat/ISNA via AP)