South Korea cracks down on ticket scalpers with hefty fines and rewards

South Korea is taking a firm stance against ticket scalping with new regulations that impose severe penalties on resellers. Effective August 28, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism began enforcing amendments to the Performance Act and the National Sports Promotion Act, significantly increasing the risks for those profiting from inflated ticket prices.

The revised framework broadens the definition of illegal scalping. Previously, only tickets bought using macro programs were targeted. Now, resellers face penalties regardless of the purchasing method. The regulations also target buyers who interfere with fair purchasing processes to resell tickets. These actions are now classified as "fraudulent purchases" and "fraudulent sales," carrying potential criminal penalties of up to one year in prison or a fine of 10 million won, in addition to the confiscation of illicit gains.

Beyond criminal liability, the Culture Ministry can levy administrative penalties ranging from two to 50 times the total sale amount. This tiered system is designed to scale with the severity and volume of the scalping activity. Furthermore, online ticket vendors and intermediaries are now integrated into the enforcement chain, required to verify identities, provide reporting functions for suspicious listings, and remove flagged content promptly.

To incentivize compliance and reporting, South Korea is offering significant cash rewards to whistleblowers. Informants who report fraudulent purchases can receive up to 50 million won (approximately S$49,000). Those who report fraudulent sales are eligible for up to 50 percent of the administrative penalty imposed on the offender. The regulations, however, exclude certain items like movie tickets and accommodation vouchers, while fan-meeting tickets are classified as commercial promotions. Esports event tickets may fall under the sports provisions, depending on their classification.