South Korea's Film Council Opens Reporting Channel for Premium Ticket Scalping

The Korean Film Council (KOFIC) has established a dedicated reporting system to address the rampant scalping of premium cinema tickets, particularly for screenings of Christopher Nolan's new film 'Oppenheimer'. The surge in ticket resale prices, with some IMAX tickets fetching over 100,000 won (approximately $72 USD), has prompted KOFIC to take action. The council announced on August 18 that it would begin accepting reports on illegal ticket trading, aiming to identify and prevent such practices that harm audiences. Reports indicate that some sellers are acquiring large blocks of tickets, suspected to be through automated bot programs, and then reselling them at significantly marked-up prices on online platforms and social media. This practice deprives regular moviegoers of access to popular premium screenings. KOFIC plans to use the collected evidence to analyze the scalping market and its impact. The council will collaborate with major online platforms and relevant government bodies to develop effective countermeasures. These may include improving systems to prevent bulk purchases and strengthening legal frameworks. KOFIC's Fair Business Center emphasized that scalping unfairly deprives audiences of their right to watch films and damages the industry's credibility. They urged the public to actively report suspicious activities, assuring that tipsters' identities and information will be kept confidential according to relevant laws.

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The unfair profit-seeking by some scalpers is a serious problem that deprives legitimate moviegoers of their right to watch films and damages the credibility of the entire industry.