As BTS prepares for their full group comeback and upcoming concerts, South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has taken action against suspected illegal ticket resales linked to the group’s performances.
On March 11, the ministry announced that it had requested a police investigation after finding suspected illegal ticket scalping cases related to BTS’s Gwanghwamun and Goyang concerts. Officials said they had been closely monitoring major online second hand trading platforms due to the growing issue of illegal resale in the concert market.
According to the ministry, even though the concerts follow a strict one ticket per person, no transfer allowed policy, it found posts offering to sell a total of 1,868 tickets, including duplicate listings, in violation of the booking rules.
Out of those listings, authorities referred 4 cases involving 105 tickets to the National Police Agency for investigation. These cases reportedly involved suspected illegal resale activity, including listings where multiple tickets for the same performance were secured and then offered at high premium prices.
The ministry also strongly warned that fans who buy resale tickets may still be unable to attend the concerts. Because of the event’s strict rules, organizers are expected to carry out thorough identity checks at the venue, making it very difficult for transferred tickets to be used.
The organizers also asked fans to be especially careful, warning that even if someone pays a high price for a resale ticket, they may still be denied entry. The ministry added that with additional ticket sales announced for the Gwanghwamun concert, there may be a rise in illegal listings and possible fraud cases.
Officials requested that organizers, ticketing platforms, and online marketplace operators quickly remove posts that violate ticketing rules and strengthen on site identity verification. They also asked the public to report suspicious cases involving macro based unfair transactions to the official ticket scalping report center.
Minister Choi Hwi Young criticized the issue, saying illegal ticket resale “disrupts the healthy order of the performance market and exploits fans’ pure love for popular culture.” He added that the government will continue “firm and ongoing action until illegal ticket resale is eliminated” in order to support a fair concert environment.
He also urged fans to only purchase tickets through official ticketing sites, warning that resale tickets can not only violate booking rules but may also lead to fraud if sellers disappear after receiving payment.
Meanwhile, BTS is set to release their 5th full album “ARIRANG” on March 20 at 1 PM, followed by “BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG” on March 21 at 8 PM in the Gwanghwamun Square area.
Source: [1]
