South Korean woman faces prosecution for allegedly scalping K-pop tickets worth US$319,000
Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.
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- South Korean police are prosecuting a woman for allegedly using automated programs to buy about 2,600 K-pop concert tickets.
- The suspect allegedly resold tickets at marked-up prices, generating an estimated US$319,000 in illegal proceeds.
- The case highlights ongoing issues with ticket scalping in South Korea, with stricter penalties set to take effect.
A woman in her 30s faces prosecution in South Korea for allegedly scalping K-pop concert tickets, amassing an estimated 442 million won (US$319,000) in illegal profits. South Korean police referred the woman to prosecutors on charges including violating the Information and Communications Network Act and obstruction of business.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said it had referred the woman to prosecutors without detention on charges of violating the Information and Communications Network Act, obstruction of business, and the Public Performance Act.
Authorities allege she used a macro program to automatically purchase approximately 2,600 tickets to concerts by popular K-pop artists between April 2023 and March 2026. The automated software allowed her to buy tickets faster than ordinary users and bypass purchase limits by using accounts registered under relatives and acquaintances. Most K-pop concerts in South Korea limit purchases to one or two tickets per person.
Police said the woman used the automated programme between April 2023 and March 2026 to purchase tickets to concerts by popular K-pop artists before reselling them at marked-up prices.
The scheme was detected during ticket sales for BTS’ Gwanghwamun concert in March, where the woman allegedly obtained nine tickets using the same method. Police intervened before she could resell them. The authorities are seeking to seize the alleged criminal proceeds to prevent their disposal before trial.
According to investigators, the suspect used the automated software to complete online ticket purchases faster than ordinary users while bypassing purchase limits by logging in through accounts registered under the names of relatives and acquaintances.
This case comes as South Korea prepares to implement stricter penalties for illegal ticket resales. Beginning August 28, revised laws will allow authorities to impose administrative fines of up to 50 times the value of illegally resold tickets, signaling a tougher stance against scalping.
The authorities estimate that she generated around 442 million won (S$409,000) in illegal proceeds.
About this summary
Originally published by The Straits Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.
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