The Ministry of Culture announced that the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation, the reporting agency for sports ticket scalping, has referred 31 individuals suspected of high-volume and high-priced ticket sales for the KBO League postseason to the police.
This action aims to quickly investigate major suspicious cases during the concentrated ticket sales period of the fall baseball season, thereby preventing further illegal sales and protecting fair viewing opportunities for baseball fans.
According to the ministry, the foundation analyzed reports of suspicious ticket sales received from October 13 to 19. From these reports, it identified 31 individuals whose total sales amounts exceeded 10 million won, leading to the police referral.
The 31 suspects attempted to sell a total of 1,015 tickets, with the total sales amount reaching approximately 728 million won. The maximum number of tickets one individual was expected to sell was 116, with a maximum sales amount of 116 million won.
Instead of waiting until the end of the season to respond, the foundation prioritized identifying major suspicious cases from the data collected during the postseason for immediate investigation. It focused on reducing the time between report analysis and police referral through close cooperation with the National Police Agency.
Following the referral, the foundation plans to promptly provide additional information to the police and continue referring major suspected illegal sellers until the postseason concludes.
Additionally, the ministry has strengthened restrictions on suspicious listings on second-hand trading platforms from once a day to twice a day during the postseason. It is also conducting on-site monitoring around stadiums in collaboration with the police, the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), and individual teams. This dual approach aims to confirm illegal sales both online and on-site, blocking transactions and ensuring swift investigations into major suspects.
Minister of Culture Choi Hwi-young emphasized, "During the postseason, we will not only block suspicious listings but also swiftly refer high-volume and high-priced sellers for investigation, actively cooperating with police to curb further illegal sales. If illegal activities are confirmed, we will take strict action in accordance with the law, ensuring continuous monitoring and investigation to protect fans' fair viewing opportunities."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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