BTS Gwanghwamun Concert Faces Scalping Issues: Government and HYBE Take Action

《Lee Min-kyung's Siren》
Lee Min-kyung, a TenAsia journalist, sounds the alarm on the rapidly evolving entertainment industry. She highlights unseen issues and alerts us to the threats and changes surrounding the entertainment world.

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As tickets for BTS's free concert at Gwanghwamun Square, scheduled for the 21st, are being sold for as much as 1.5 million KRW on the scalping market, the government and HYBE are implementing various measures to combat this issue.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) on the 17th, there have been a total of 1,868 illegal ticket sale posts related to BTS's Gwanghwamun and Goyang concerts, including duplicates. This was discovered through intensive monitoring of major online second-hand trading platforms. The ministry focused on posts where multiple tickets for the same concert were being sold at inflated prices. They have requested police investigations into four suspicious posts involving 105 tickets.

MCST Minister Choi Hwi-young emphasized the importance of detecting scalping and raising awareness during the 'Concert & Sports Scalping Prevention Public-Private Council Launch' on the 5th. He stated, "BTS's concert will be a test case for our response to scalping," and highlighted the need for cooperation to prevent scams by informing the public that tickets purchased through scalping could be canceled and that identity verification at the venue could make transfers impossible.

Minister Choi also addressed the need to curb scalping during last year's National Assembly audit. He pointed out the lack of legal grounds to regulate scalping not involving macro programs, despite current laws allowing for the regulation of macro-assisted activities. Consequently, a revised law prohibiting scalping in concerts and sports events was passed in January, set to take effect in August. This law bans all fraudulent purchases and sales, regardless of macro program use.

To prevent scalpers from attending the upcoming Gwanghwamun concert before the law takes effect, various measures have been implemented. QR code screenshots are prohibited, and once used, they cannot be reissued or reused. All attendees must verify their identity with an ID and wear a non-removable wristband. Random identity checks will also be conducted after entry.

HYBE's 'Face Pass' system, a key anti-scalping measure, will not be used for the Gwanghwamun concert but will be implemented at the Goyang concert in April. Since February last year, HYBE has applied Face Pass to many of its artists' concerts, starting with group tours. The system allows entry through facial recognition without an ID or ticket, provided the buyer registers a photo at the time of purchase. The registration and verification functions are provided by the internet banking platform Toss.

However, this system is not without controversy. Concerns have been raised about Toss and Noll Universe, the service managers, potentially collecting and storing excessive personal information. It was revealed that even if a user withdraws from Noll Universe, their registered facial image remains on Toss's servers for a year.

Scalping is a chronic issue that hinders the development of our cultural industry but is difficult to eradicate. Physical measures to block scalping face practical limitations, and technological solutions like Face Pass raise ethical concerns. It remains to be seen whether the government's intervention and efforts by entertainment agencies like HYBE will prove effective starting with the Gwanghwamun concert on the 21st.

Lee Min-kyung, TenAsia Reporter 2min_ror@tenasia.co.kr