A concert featuring all members of BLACKPINK was held after about 1 year and 10 months amid fans' expectations, but it has faced criticism for selling seats at 130,000 won that had no view of the stage.
BLACKPINK kicked off their world tour 'Deadline' on the 5th and 6th at the Goyang Sports Complex in Gyeonggi Province. The concert, which sold out, attracted approximately 78,000 spectators.
However, some audience members expressed outrage, saying they could not properly enjoy the performance due to the installations.
Various social media platforms and online communities criticized that large screens and console equipment set up between the stage and the audience obstructed the view from certain seats.
Photos shared by the audience showed that structures completely blocked the stage, making it virtually impossible to watch the performance. The problematic seats are located in sections N3, N8, and N9.
In particular, the fact that these seats were sold as regular B seats (132,000 won) rather than 'obstructed view seats' has intensified the controversy. Official obstructed view seats were sold for a lower price of 99,000 won.
In response, the audience expressed strong dissatisfaction, saying, 'There was no view beyond obstruction,' 'I only saw walls throughout the performance,' and 'This is a deception.' One fan posted a photo of an 'obstructed view seat' and commented, 'How can it be that you can't see even more than an obstructed view seat?' expressing disbelief.
Some fans demanded clarification from the organizer, YG Entertainment, stating, 'At the time of booking, there was a notice about the possibility of view obstruction, but in reality, the stage itself was not visible.'
There has also been a movement to file a collective complaint with the Korea Consumer Agency (KCA). According to consumer dispute resolution standards, full refunds and 10% of the admission fee as damages can be obtained if viewing the performance is significantly difficult due to the organizer's responsibility.
Earlier, a so-called 'wall view' seat controversy arose during Bruno Mars' concert in Korea in 2023, resulting in some refund measures.