Tickets sold to Chinese fans at more than triple the original price; wristbands cut off and handed over near venue

Fans crowd the area around Busan Asiad Main Stadium, where the BTS concert was held June 12. [Yonhap]
Fans crowd the area around Busan Asiad Main Stadium, where the BTS concert was held June 12. [Yonhap]

"BTS Busan concert ticket for sale — 680,000 won (about $445)."

Ten scalping cases were caught at the venue as BTS held their world tour concerts at Busan Asiad Main Stadium on June 12 and 13, with some tickets offered at more than three times their face value.

The Busan Metropolitan Police Agency said Sunday it deployed more than 70 officers around Busan Asiad Main Stadium on June 12 and 13, resulting in 10 scalping cases involving 11 people, each fined 160,000 won.

A man in his 40s surnamed Kim was caught trying to sell a 220,000-won ticket to a Chinese woman for 680,000 won — more than three times the original price. Four other cases involved Koreans attempting to sell 220,000-won tickets to foreigners for between 350,000 and 550,000 won.

A Chinese national in their 20s was caught selling scalped tickets to fellow Chinese concertgoers, while a Korean in their 30s identified only as B was arrested after a 112 emergency call for brokering ticket sales to Chinese buyers. A separate Chinese national in their 20s was also caught attempting to sell a scalped ticket to a Filipino.

The scalping was carried out by cutting off the admission wristbands the sellers had received and handing them directly to buyers near the venue.

"Scalping is a clear illegal act that undermines the status of K-pop and erodes a healthy concert culture," a Busan police official said. "We will continue to crack down on ticket scalping at large concerts, sporting events and other mass gatherings."


carrier@heraldcorp.com