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(CNN) — Two teenage girls who were reported missing in Pakistan last week were found more than 1,200 kilometers from their home after trying to travel to South Korea to meet K-pop band BTS, police said in the South Asian country.
The two girls, aged 13 and 14, went missing on Saturday in Korangi, in the city of Karachi, said Abraiz Ali Abbasi, the region’s police chief.
During a search of their homes, police found a diary that revealed their plans to travel to South Korea to meet with BTS, Abbasi said in a video statement.
“In the newspaper we saw mentions of train schedules and that they were planning to flee with another friend of theirs…whom we later interviewed,” Abassi said.
“We began aggressively chasing them down and found that they were in police custody in the city of Lahore, where they had traveled by train.”
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Abbasi said arrangements had been made for the girls to be returned to Karachi in coordination with Lahore police.
The superintendent urged parents to “monitor their children’s screen time” so they have a better understanding of what their children are watching online.
“It’s no surprise that two teenagers took that risk because ‘Stans’ are capable of doing it for their idols,” said cultures journalist Rabia Mehmood, using a slang term for loyal fans. “But if we had safer and more organized spaces for younger fans, they could talk openly and freely with each other about their favorites instead of taking such risks.”
Seven-piece Korean boy band BTS went on hiatus late last year as their oldest member began compulsory military service last month. Jin, 30, began his military service on December 13, which is expected to last 18 months.
BTS will remain separated until at least 2025, when other members of the group will reach the age of majority to enter military camps. The band has announced that they will use this time for solo projects.