SEOUL, February 13 (AJP) - South Korea’s ticket scalping market has expanded more than fortyfold over the past five years, drawing heightened scrutiny ahead of BTS’s highly anticipated comeback concert and domestic tour.
“BTS The Comeback Live: ARIRANG,” scheduled for March 21 at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, will offer around 15,000 to 17,000 seats.
General reservations open at 8 p.m. on February 23 through NOL Ticket. Of the total, 2,000 standing spots will be raffled to ARMY members who pre-ordered the group’s new album. The concert is free.
But free events often attract even more aggressive scalping.
At BTS’s 2022 Busan Expo concert, VIP tickets were resold for up to 4 million won.
Illegal transactions spread through social media and private chat rooms, with scalpers using automated programs and account transfers to bypass ticketing controls.
Regular tour shows are scheduled in Goyang on April 9, 11 and 12, and in Busan on June 12 and 13.
Scalping Cases Surge
According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency, suspected online scalping cases surged from 6,237 in 2020 to 184,933 in 2024, reaching 259,334 as of August 2025. About 75 percent of cases in 2024 were linked to music concerts.
In response, the country’s largest ticket resale platform will cap resale prices at 1 million won starting January 1, 2026, automatically blocking listings above that level.
The amendments to the Public Performance Act and the National Sports Promotion Act, passed late last month, ban all illegal ticket resales, allow authorities to confiscate profits, and impose fines of up to 50 times the resale amount. But they go into full effect late July.
Previously, scalping was illegal only when macro software was used, leaving most individual resales on social media, online forums and private marketplaces largely unregulated. The revised law aims to close that loophole.
Tax authorities have joined the crackdown.
Last November, they launched their first large-scale investigation into high-volume scalpers targeting K-pop concerts and major sports events. The 17 individuals identified included teachers, public-sector employees and business owners. The total volume of tickets distributed through illegal channels was estimated at more than 20 billion won.
Regardless of the law, the government plans to be strict against exploitative ticket sales of BTS concerts.
Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young warned Thursday of a strong government crackdown, saying illegal resales must not be allowed to spoil BTS’s return.
The economic impact of BTS concerts extends well beyond ticket sales.
Accommodation prices have surged during major tour periods, raising broader inflation concerns.
According to a joint investigation by the Korea Fair Trade Commission and the Korea Consumer Agency, 135 accommodations in Busan were surveyed during the June concert period. The average nightly rate for the concert weekend of June 13–14 reached 433,999 won — 2.4 times higher than surrounding weeks.
Motel rates averaged 325,801 won, up 3.3 times, while hotel rates averaged 631,546 won, a 2.9-fold increase. Pension rates rose more modestly to 296,437 won, about 1.2 times the usual level.
At some properties, price hikes were far steeper. One hotel room normally priced at 100,000 won was listed for 750,000 won. Thirteen properties raised rates by more than five times, with some rooms jumping from the 300,000-won range to as high as 1.8 million won.
Despite regulatory efforts, containing price inflation linked to major events remains difficult when demand reaches fever pitch.
For many fans, however, cost is secondary.
“Will I pay many times more to see BTS? You bet,” said one Seoul-based fan.
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