Cracking Down on Illegal Ticket Sales: The Rise of Scalping in South Korea's Concert Scene
South Korea has seen a surge in reports of illegal ticket sales for various concerts, with K-pop supergroup BTS' "Arirang" world tour topping the list. According to data from the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), BTS' tour received the highest number of reports for ticket scalping between September 2025 and August 2026, with 102 reports. Psy's standalone concerts followed with 88 reports, while BIGBANG, Lim Young-woong, Day6, Oasis, and The Weeknd also had significant numbers of reported cases.
The figures reported by KOCCA's online board may not fully capture the extent of the damage caused by ticket scalping, as highlighted by Rep. Jeong Jun-ho. The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism identified a much larger number of online posts suspected of illegal ticket sales for BTS shows, indicating a wider issue. Music concerts accounted for the majority of scalping cases, followed by other events like fan meet-and-greets, stage greetings, stage musicals, and gaming events.
The majority of scalping transactions (79.8 percent) occurred on secondhand platforms like Karrot, Ticketbay, and Bunjang, with social media platforms accounting for the rest. Despite the implementation of a new law imposing hefty fines for scalping, only a small number of accounts have been referred to the police for investigation. Overseas scalpers are exploiting loopholes by selling tickets to foreign buyers through non-Korean websites, necessitating stronger measures to combat evolving tactics.
In conclusion, the prevalence of illegal ticket sales for concerts in South Korea, particularly for popular acts like BTS, underscores the need for stricter enforcement and measures to protect consumers from scalping practices. The collaboration between government agencies, law enforcement, and online platforms is crucial in addressing this issue and safeguarding the integrity of ticketing systems.