Five young men are lounging in relaxed, casual poses on a concrete sidewalk curb next to an urban street. In the foreground, one person lies on his back along the white painted curb wearing a grey t-shirt and blue jeans. Behind him, the other four individuals sit together: one in a teal t-shirt leaning back, one in a white sleeveless top, one in a dark t-shirt and green cargo pants, and one on the far right wearing a vibrant blue zippered hoodie with the hood pulled up. The overall image has a cool, desaturated blue color grade, with a street and blurred vehicles visible in the background. The 2nd EP [GREENGREEN] 'STREET'

BigHit Music launches a zero-tolerance criminal investigation after stalkers breach security to target the members of rookie group CORTIS.

BigHit Files Legal Action Over CORTIS GPS Tracker in Paris

Most CORTIS members are minors, and BigHit said it filed criminal complaints in May over stalking, flight-data sales and altered images of the artists.

BYDiya Mukherjee

01 JUL 2026, 11:08 AM

Highlights

BigHit Music said it filed criminal complaints over stalking and privacy violations targeting CORTIS, including a GPS device attached to a vehicle carrying the group during a schedule in Paris.
In a June 29 notice on Weverse, the agency detailed police reports over the illegal sale of members' flight information and digitally altered images of the artists, most of whom are minors.
BigHit said it would pursue the cases without settlement, citing South Korea's Personal Information Protection Act and Information and Communications Network Act.

BigHit Music is pursuing legal action against people it accuses of stalking and violating the privacy of K-pop group CORTIS, after a GPS tracking device was found attached to a vehicle carrying the members during a recent schedule in Paris.

In a notice posted to the fan platform Weverse on June 29, the HYBE label said it files criminal complaints regularly based on its own monitoring and reports from fans, and that the latest actions cover malicious online posts, the illegal distribution of flight information and other privacy breaches. Most CORTIS members are minors.

The agency said individuals attached small GPS devices to a vehicle transporting the group in Paris and used hired local drivers and rented cars to follow the members, including to private, undisclosed locations.

The CORTIS stalking incident showcases what the industry terms "sasaeng" or obsessive behavior.

Stalking and data-sale complaints

CORTIS, a five-member group under BigHit Music, debuted in August 2025. The agency said it identified accounts that sold the members' flight information, which buyers then used to track the group. Some people approached the members in airport lounges, changed seats on flights to photograph them while they slept, and entered the parking area of a residence, according to the notice.

BigHit said the sale and purchase of flight information violate the Personal Information Protection Act and the Information and Communications Network Act, and that complaints filed in May are under police investigation. The agency said it is also pursuing accounts that circulated sexually degrading and digitally altered images of the artists.

BigHit said most members are minors and that it is treating the cases with greater seriousness as a result, adding that it would not settle or negotiate.

BigHit Music Tightens CORTIS Security before tour

The complaints come as CORTIS prepares for its first tour, "Put Your Phone Down," with stops in South Korea, Canada, the U.S. and Japan. The group's debut EP, "Color Outside the Lines," passed about 600 million Spotify streams as of June 23 and is among the best-selling K-pop debut albums. Its second EP, "GreenGreen," released May 4, sold about 2.3 million copies in its first week and stayed on the Billboard 200 for three consecutive weeks.

The agency said it would keep prioritizing the members' safety and privacy and would respond to any further violations.

Diya Mukherjee

Author

Diya Mukherjee is a Content Writer at Outlook Respawn with a postgraduate background in media. She has a passion for writing content and is enthusiastic about exploring cultures, literature, global affairs, and pop culture.