Missing girls in Pakistan found after running away to meet BTS in South Korea

BTS is a seven-member boy band from South Korea. Photo: Handout

Two teenage girls who went missing in Pakistan on Jan 8 have been found more than 1,200km away from their home, police reported on Jan 10.

According to Korangi senior superintendent of police Abraiz Ali Abbasi, the duo – aged 13 and 14 – were massive fans of K-pop supergroup BTS and had intended to fly to South Korea to meet the members.

The two girls were reportedly hanging out at the younger one's home when they went missing.

According to Mohammed Junaid, the father of the 13-year-old, the teens were nowhere to be found when he went out looking for them. Assuming they were kidnapped, Junaid filed a missing persons report.

After conducting an investigation at the home the next day, police discovered a diary belonging to one of the girls.

"They intended to go to Korea to meet and join BTS as they were extremely inspired by the band. From the diary, we saw mentions of train timetables. They had been planning to run away with another friend of theirs," Abbasi told Dawn.

Korangi Senior Superintendent Of Police (SSP) Abraiz Ali Abbasi urges parents to monitor their children's screen time. Photo: Karachi Police/Facebook

According to the publication, a forensic examination conducted found that the duo did a thorough online research on South Korea before running away.

Among the stuff found in their Google search bar include things to do, types of clothes to wear and what to avoid in South Korea.

"We started tracking them aggressively and found out they were in custody of the police in the city of Lahore where they had travelled by train," Abbasi stated.

He said the two girls have already been taken back to their homes in Karachi. He also urged parents to monitor their children's screen time so they are aware about the contents their children are viewing online.

BTS is a seven-member boy band formed in 2013. Its eldest member, Jin, 30, enlisted for his mandatory military service last month.

The remaining six are currently focusing on their solo projects. BTS is set to regroup in 2025 once all members have completed military service.

Watch Abbasi's full statement below: