Ahead of the comeback concert by group BTS, police launched an investigation after identifying suspected scalping accounts on a secondhand transaction platform that allegedly exploited a "macro program."
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean National Police Agency stated accordingly on the 12th as they announced "special crackdowns and eradication measures on scalping." The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism asked police on the 10th to investigate four accounts suspected of BTS concert scalping transactions, and police began a preliminary inquiry the previous day before formally booking suspects.
Police also plan to deploy 56 officers to crack down on scalping at the BTS concert site around Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on the 21st.
Given that annual average scalping reports reach 2,765 cases for performances and 21,523 cases for professional sports, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean National Police Agency decided to strengthen crackdowns.
First, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Korean National Police Agency, the Korea Fair Trade Commission, private ticketing companies, and secondhand transaction platforms launched a "public-private joint consultative body for preventing scalping" on the 5th. With revised versions of the Public Performance Act and the National Sports Promotion Act set to take effect in Aug., the consultative body will build consensus and share information.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism also decided to introduce "high-intensity economic sanctions" in line with the implementation of the revised law. It plans to include in subordinate regulations provisions imposing a penalty surcharge of up to 50 times the amount of the scalped sale and confiscating and collecting unjust gains.
A "unified scalping report center" for performances and sports will also be operated. Reporters of scalping transactions will receive culture gift certificates or e-gift cards, and measures such as canceling issued tickets based on reports will be taken.
In addition, centered on the scalping report center, online posts suspected of using macro programs will be collected and shared frequently with the Korean National Police Agency. Currently, suspected scalping cases are identified mainly through text, but the collection function will be upgraded to gather information contained in images as well.
Police are also conducting a special crackdown through the end of Oct. on "crimes disrupting everyday prices," including scalping transactions. Through metropolitan and provincial cyber investigation units, they plan to uncover scalping transactions carried out in an organized manner.
Earlier, the Gyeonggi Northern Provincial Police Agency launched an investigation based on a talent agency's tip about scalping and arrested 16 suspects who illicitly sold scalped tickets worth 7.1 billion won.
The Korean National Police Agency said, "When the revised law takes effect, not only sellers but also buyers of scalped tickets will be punishable, so we will reorganize the investigative system and prepare thoroughly."