HYBE and its subsidiary BigHit Music have launched a legal offensive in the United States, seeking to uncover the identity of an anonymous social media user accused of leaking BTS’s latest album ARIRANG ahead of its official release.
According to court documents filed on April 9 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, BigHit submitted an ex parte application under 28 U.S.C. § 1782. The statute allows foreign entities to request evidence from U.S.-based companies for use in legal proceedings abroad—in this case, a planned lawsuit in South Korea.
At the center of the dispute is an account on X Corp. (formerly Twitter), which allegedly operated under the display name “BTS ARIRANG LEAK” and username @jwngkcck. BigHit claims the account shared unreleased songs, lyrics, concept images, and album artwork in early March 2026—just weeks before the album’s official debut on March 20.
The label argues that the leak caused significant damage, both financially and strategically, by disrupting a carefully orchestrated global rollout. “Unauthorized leaks severely undermine these efforts,” BigHit’s legal team stated in the filing, emphasizing the extensive resources invested in maximizing the album’s impact.
Despite the alleged breach, ARIRANG went on to achieve record-breaking success. The album reportedly amassed over 110 million streams on Spotify within its first 24 hours, making it the most-streamed K-pop album in the platform’s history for a single day. It also sold approximately 3.98 million copies on its first day, surpassing BTS’s previous milestone set by Map of the Soul: 7 in 2020.
Still, BigHit insists that the leak compromised the campaign’s momentum and diluted fan anticipation. The company had lined up a series of high-profile promotional strategies, including an exclusive comeback concert streamed via Netflix and a dedicated in-app experience on TikTok.
Following the alleged leak, BigHit reported the account to X, resulting in the removal of the infringing content and a change to the account’s username. However, identifying the individual behind the account remains crucial for further legal action.
The subpoena request, if approved, would compel X Corp. to provide detailed account information, including access logs, timestamps, time zone data, and any associated financial or contact details such as credit card or bank account information. This data would then be used to identify the individual responsible and pursue legal remedies in South Korea.
BigHit’s legal team stressed the urgency of the request. In a supporting declaration, Claire Shin, HYBE’s Head of Global Legal Affairs, noted that South Korean telecommunications providers typically retain user data for only 90 days before deletion. “There is an urgent need to promptly identify information,” Shin stated, warning that delays could hinder the investigation.
This is not the first time HYBE has used U.S. legal mechanisms to pursue anonymous online actors. The company previously invoked the same statute to identify the operator behind another X account accused of spreading defamatory claims about its artists and management practices.
In parallel, HYBE has also intensified efforts to combat counterfeit merchandise. The company recently filed additional complaints in the U.S. targeting unidentified bootleggers expected to sell fake BTS merchandise during upcoming tour stops, including shows at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa later this month.
With multiple legal actions underway, HYBE appears determined to protect both its intellectual property and its artists’ global brand. The outcome of the subpoena request could set a significant precedent for how entertainment companies pursue cross-border digital infringement cases in an increasingly interconnected industry.
