Police set to charge seller of BTS member Jungkook's hat

A former Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) employee accused of trying to sell a hat belonging to BTS member Jungkook online admitted to allegations against during a police investigation, according to Seoul Seocho Police Station on Monday. The ...

Jungkook of BTS [BIGHIT MUSIC]

A former Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) employee accused of trying to sell a hat belonging to BTS member Jungkook online admitted to allegations against during a police investigation, according to Seoul Seocho Police Station on Monday.

The station stated Monday that it concluded its investigation on the former employee and is currently deciding what to charge them with.

On Oct. 17, a post was made on online secondhand flea market Bungae Jangteo offering a bucket hat allegedly worn by Jungkook of boy band BTS.

The seller, now identified as a former MOFA employee, claimed in the post that “When BTS members visited the Passport Division to create diplomatic passports, Jungkook left this bucket hat in the waiting area. After reporting the hat as lost property, we waited for six months, but there was no phone call or visit to acquire the hat. Therefore, the person who found the hat now has ownership."

The employee set the price at 10 million won ($7,000). It caused a stir among netizens and BTS’s fans dubbed ARMY, not just for the hefty price tag but also because the seller uploaded a picture of an employee ID from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to try to prove the backstory.

The bucket hat allegedly worn by BTS's Jungkook with a price tag of 10 million won appeared on an online flea market platform on Oct. 17. The seller used an employee's ID card that belongs to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to prove their identity. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The seller added that the hat looks “very used” but that it’s “priceless.”

“He’s a world-famous singer, so the value of this hat is expected to rise further,” the seller added. “I have no intention of adjusting the price. I think it will be worth more than the current price in the future.”

After the post came under fire, the former employee deleted it and turned himself in at a police station in Yongin, Gyeonggi, where he also presented the hat.

The former employee also said during the ensuing police investigation that they had already quit working for the ministry.

The case has since been assigned to Seoul Seocho Police Station, which has jurisdiction over southern Seoul’s Seocho District where the Passport Division is located.

BY HALEY YANG [yang.hyunjoo@joongang.co.kr]