K-pop band Highlight fan club members data leaked exposing 897 fans
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Around Us Entertainment, the South Korean entertainment company managing K-pop group Highlight, has experienced a data leak affecting members of the group's official fan club "Light 5th Generation." The incident occurred when the agency accidentally published sensitive personal information of fan club members on its official website while processing applications for a music show pre-recording event.
The breach was a caused by an error during the publication of participant selection results. Around Us Entertainment intended to publish a list of 280 selected participants but mistakenly uploaded the original file containing verification information for all 897 applicants instead of the filtered selection list. The company stated that the error was recognized immediately and the file was deleted and replaced, but personal information had already been exposed during this process.
The exposed data includes:
- Real names of fan club members
- Contact phone numbers
- Birthdates
- Fan club membership numbers
- Personal verification information
The company has committed to reissuing new fan club membership numbers and cards to all affected members at no cost.
Around Us Entertainment's response to the incident was significantly delayed, with the company taking three weeks to issue a public apology and notification. Despite fans attempting to contact the agency immediately after discovering the leak, multiple fans reported that phone calls went unanswered and emails were not responded to. The company finally posted an official apology on May 21, 2025, acknowledging both the initial security failure and their delayed response to the situation.
In their statement, Around Us Entertainment apologized for "causing concern due to our failure to act swiftly after the leak" and admitted they were "deeply sorry for not responding more promptly after becoming aware of the situation, causing further distress to those affected." The company has since implemented monitoring measures to prevent further damage and protect fans' personal information.
