BigHit Moves to Unmask Leak Behind BTS’s “ARIRANG” Rollout

BigHit Music is taking legal action in the United States as it seeks to identify the individual behind a pre-release leak of BTS’s latest album, “ARIRANG.” The label, a subsidiary of HYBE, has filed a request in a California federal court to obtain user data from X Corp. tied to an anonymous account accused of distributing unreleased material.

The filing, submitted under a legal mechanism that allows foreign entities to gather evidence from U.S.-based companies, targets an account that allegedly shared tracks, lyrics and visual assets ahead of the album’s March 20 release. According to the label, the leak disrupted a carefully orchestrated global rollout, one that included major platform partnerships and a coordinated promotional campaign.

The stakes are underscored by “ARIRANG “‘s commercial impact. The project shattered streaming benchmarks upon release, pulling in over 110 million first-day streams on Spotify and setting a new record for K-pop releases on the service. It also posted massive physical sales figures, reinforcing BTS’s continued dominance across formats.

In its court filing, BigHit argues that unauthorized leaks can significantly erode both the financial and cultural value of major releases. Album campaigns at this scale rely heavily on timing, exclusivity and fan anticipation, factors that can be undermined when content surfaces prematurely.

If granted, the subpoena would request X to hand over account data, including login records and any associated financial or contact information, to help identify the individual responsible. The urgency of the request is partly driven by data retention limits in South Korea, where user information may only be stored for a limited time.

This isn’t the first time HYBE has turned to U.S. courts in pursuit of anonymous online actors, reflecting a broader industry trend of escalating legal responses to leaks and digital piracy. Alongside separate efforts targeting counterfeit merchandise tied to BTS’s upcoming tour dates, the move signals a more aggressive posture around intellectual property protection.