Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Choi Hwi-young said March 4 that the government would step up efforts to prevent ticket scalping and price gouging tied to BTS’ planned “Gwanghwamun comeback” concert.
Speaking at a full meeting of the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, Choi responded to questions from Rep. Lee Gi-heon of the Democratic Party.
Lee said hotel rooms near Gwanghwamun that had cost 250,000 won were being raised to 800,000 won, and that some operators were canceling existing reservations and reselling rooms at sharply higher prices. “Scalping is also an emergency,” he said.
The BTS Gwanghwamun comeback concert is free, but scalpers have been selling access through practices such as transferring IDs and wristbands.
Choi said authorities were “actively monitoring and cracking down,” but acknowledged limits. “We will work aggressively during the remaining period so there are no unfortunate incidents,” he said.
Lawmakers also criticized Netflix’s exclusive live broadcast of the concert. Rep. Lim Oh-kyeong of the Democratic Party said it was contradictory to stress fostering domestic streaming platforms while a major national event’s rights went to a foreign company.
Choi said the decision was made by the group’s agency after weighing various factors, and that it was difficult for the government to intervene. He added that domestic platforms appeared to face limitations in carrying the broadcast, and said he was concerned the ministry’s views were not more fully reflected.
Separately, lawmakers urged stronger action against so-called “one-click publishing,” in which generative AI is used to produce thousands of e-books in a short time. Under the current legal deposit system, there are no standards to identify AI publications, no labeling requirement and no separate management framework. The ministry established a “Culture AI Policy Division” last March to oversee AI-related work.
Rep. Kim Jae-won of the Rebuilding Korea Future Party said the government should define the institutional status of AI-generated works and create a comprehensive plan covering eligibility for public support programs and measures to address market distortion and overproduction.
Choi said books “churned out by AI” should be excluded from legal deposit, and said the ministry was strengthening monitoring and pursuing institutional changes to create a legal basis. He said a comprehensive plan was needed so AI could be used to support growth in culture and the arts, and that the new dedicated unit would lead the work.
In another exchange, lawmakers called on government officials to join efforts after President Lee Jae-myung put up for sale a home he had lived in for 29 years as part of a push to normalize the real estate market. Rep. Min Hyung-bae of the Democratic Party said Choi and his spouse owned an apartment in Anyang and a multi-family home in Pyeongchang, and that Choi’s mother and children held commercial and single-family properties. Min also said nine of the heads of 16 agencies under the ministry owned two or more properties, and urged a ministry-level review.
Choi said all of the properties he owns are primary residences, adding that the ministry was reviewing the issue and that he agreed with the intent.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.