Top actress’ cell phone cloned to eavesdrop

Korea’s top actress Jun Ji-hyun’s cell phone has been illegally cloned to allow eavesdropping by her management company whose contract with her expires next month, police say.

The company denied the allegation.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency yesterday summoned an official of Sidus HQ, Jun’s management company, for investigation.

The man is the brother of company CEO Jung Hoon-tak.

Police had earlier questioned three people from a private detective agency, including a 42-year-old man identified only by the surname Kim, and two Sidus HQ officials about the alleged phone duplication.

The private agency was hired by Jun’s company exclusively for the job, police say.

Police on Monday raided the Sidus HQ office and the private detective agency to confiscate computers and documents and are now trying to track down people who were actually involved in cloning Jun’s phone for the detective agency.

Kim and two associated individuals set up the agency and have duplicated cell phones at the request of approximately 30 customers from from Oct. 2006 to Oct. 2008.
They charged 1 to 3 million won per case, according to police.

During a recent investigation on the detective agency, police discovered that several phone calls have been made between it and Jun’s management company.

Further police questioning of Kim found that Sidus HQ asked the agency to replicate Jun’s mobile phone, allegedly to monitor her personal life, police said.

The agency received millions of won from Jun’s company in return for making a duplicate of her phone, police said.

“Since a duplicated cell phone provides the record of text messages sent or received through the original phone, it is possible to take control of the phone holder’s personal life using a reproduced phone,” said a Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency official who asked to remain anonymous.

Sidus HQ says there is no truth to the allegations.

“The news is just a groundless rumor. It’s absurd that a management company would use a reproduced phone to keep track of a celebrity client’s private life,” the company said.

By Jang Joo-young JoongAng Ilbo/ Park Sun-young Staff Reporter [spark0320@joongang.co.kr]