"A-4 section 7n +35."
On the 25th in the afternoon, a search for "BTS Gwanghwamun" on social media (SNS) X turned up a post with that phrase. It meant the seller would part with a free comeback concert ticket for BTS, who will perform at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, for 350,000 won. Dozens of posts with the same message had been uploaded.
One X account said, "Standing A-3 200,000 won, reserved seat B-1 150,000 won," and left a KakaoTalk open chat L.I.N.C. Some posts were already marked "transfer complete."
We inquired about the 350,000-won ticket. The seller said, "You can send the deposit via open chat remittance," and sent two screenshots of the reservation details. When we delayed sending money and kept asking more questions, the seller soon deleted all the verification photos.
◇ As soon as concert reservations ended, resale posts poured in
As BTS holds a full-group comeback concert for the first time in about 3 years and 9 months due to military service and other reasons, scalping and ticket scams are rampant. While investigators have moved to respond, fans say self-policing is also needed.
BTS will stage "BTS Comeback Live: ARIRANG" around Gwanghwamun Square for about an hour from 8 p.m. on the 21st next month. There are 15,000 seats in total, and concert tickets are free. Of these, 2,000 seats for fans were allocated by lottery, which closed on the 15th, and reservations for the remaining seats, on a first-come, first-served basis, ended on the 23rd.
The problem is that, after concert reservations ended, posts have been flooding SNS offering to transfer or resell seats.
Most sales posts listed seat information and price, such as "Transferring reserved seat B-20 n. +10 negotiable." Some posts added the line "All verification possible," seemingly to ease scam concerns. Aimed at overseas fan demand, there were also instances that read "Foreign ok," inducing transactions with overseas fans.
Posing as an overseas fan, we contacted a seller and got a reply within a minute that "there is a ticket." But when asked for the exact seat location and booking number, the seller dodged by saying, "I'll tell you after purchase." When we again asked if it was a safe transaction, the seller said, "While 'ID transfer (A-om)' can't be guaranteed 100% to succeed, if it does, there's no problem with entry."
◇ "Tricks" to avoid on-site ID checks
Sellers mentioned methods such as "A-om" and "bracelet transfer" as the transaction mode. On the day of the show, staff will distribute entry bracelets after checking reservation details and will verify identity by matching the reservation account holder name with an ID. It is a measure to prevent scalping.
A-om is a method where the seller cancels the reservation during a low-traffic time and the buyer immediately rebooks. The transaction can fail because a third party may snap up the canceled ticket.
Bracelet transfer is a method where the entry bracelet received on site is physically handed over to the buyer. Although the bracelet is designed to be difficult to reattach once removed, there are companies active online that, for around 10,000 won per job, offer to handle the transfer. Some posts included phrases like "Find a bracelet-transfer company" and "On-site help included."
Some accounts showed signs suggesting they secured tickets by using macro programs. Although this reservation limited purchases to "one per person," about half the sellers were offering multiple tickets.
Some sellers appeared to be minors. They asked for Kakao Pay remittance or bank transfer as the payment method, and when we attempted to send money to the provided account number, the label "(MINI)" appeared next to the depositor name. This indicates a KakaoBank account for a minor.
◇ Police and platforms move to block posts, but "limits" remain… "Self-policing needed"
Some fans who had long awaited BTS's full-group return worried that scalping and ticket scams could spoil the festive mood. An office worker, a person surnamed Kim, 32, said, "Expectations were high because it's been so long, but it feels like the traders, not the fans, are the ones really excited."
Police and the industry are keeping a close watch. On the 23rd, police said they were monitoring proxy purchasing, proxy ticketing, and ticket scams related to the BTS concert and had requested the deletion or blocking of 34 posts. TicketBay, the country's largest ticket transfer platform, also announced on the 24th that it would ban sales of free distribution tickets and invitation tickets.
However, as person-to-person transactions via SNS proliferate, it is difficult to block them all. A police official said, "We are doing everything possible to prevent fraud damage," but added, "Self-policing not to buy high-priced scalped tickets, in line with the purpose of a free concert, is also necessary."