A claim has emerged that, ahead of a BTS concert in Busan, a Japanese fan asked a lodging in Busan to confirm a reservation but was cursed at and had the reservation canceled. As unilateral reservation cancellations and price hikes at some lodgings are joined by complaints about how foreign tourists are treated, the controversy is growing.
On the 9th, messages and social media posts exchanged recently between a Japanese person, identified as A and a BTS fan, and a lodging in Busan were spreading on online communities and social media (SNS). A reserved a hotel in Busan through a lodging reservation platform and then asked about the check-in process, whether there was an elevator, and the possibility of an automatic cancellation of the reservation.
The messages A disclosed contain a conversation with the lodging on the 5th. When A asked, "Please tell me how to check in," "Is there an elevator?" and "Are there cases where a reservation is automatically canceled? Can I rest assured?", the lodging used profanity and then replied, "Reservation canceled, good day."
On SNS, A wrote, "I wondered if it was rude to ask because I had often heard of hotel reservations made yesterday after I arrived being canceled without permission, which made me anxious." A added, "Even using a translator, I couldn't understand or believe what was said, so I'm glad I won't be staying at such a place."
Once the story became known, online reactions criticizing the lodging's response followed. Netizens said the lodging handled a foreign tourist inappropriately and that it could harm Busan's tourism image. Some argued the lodging's name should be made public to prevent similar harm.
A, however, said A is waiting for the reservation platform's response and would not disclose the hotel's name "for fear of being criticized as harboring a grudge or disrupting business."
BTS will perform in Busan on the 12th and 13th. This is BTS's first concert in Busan since the Oct. 2022 concert to support the bid for the 2030 Busan World Expo. Ahead of the show, complaints continued that some lodgings canceled existing reservations or sharply raised prices.
According to the government, as of the 29th of last month, there had been 311 reports of lodging inconveniences related to the BTS concert in Busan. Of these, cancellations accounted for the most at 256 cases, and there were 48 reports related to high charges.
Police are also looking into allegations related to lodgings. The Busan Metropolitan Police Agency's Anti-Corruption and Economic Crime Investigation Unit is investigating some lodgings in the Busan area on suspicion of fraud for allegedly canceling existing reservations and then reselling the same rooms at higher prices. Police are examining whether the stated reasons for cancellation were truly due to overbooking or aimed at raising prices for resale.
The government and related agencies are also pushing measures to prevent price-gouging controversies over lodging. The government is preparing a revision to the Consumer Dispute Resolution Standards that would require lodgings to refund deposits and pay an additional 200% of the canceled room rate in compensation if they unilaterally cancel existing reservations for the purpose of price increases or resale. The Consumer Dispute Resolution Standards are criteria used as benchmarks for refunds or compensation when consumer damage occurs.