Arrests made after BTS concert tickets listed for more than £5,000

WorldMusic
12 Mar 2026 • 9:16 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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  • South Korea has launched a crackdown on ticket scalping after police uncovered over 1,800 online resale listings for BTS's upcoming concert and arrested a network accused of making over £3m in illicit profits.
  • Tickets for the K-pop group's first full-unit live performance in four years were being resold at nearly 40 times their original price, with some reaching over £5,000.
  • The Ministry of Culture detected 1,868 resale posts and referred four suspected cases, involving 105 tickets, to the National Police Agency for investigation.
  • Authorities have warned fans that strict anti-scalping measures, including mobile QR codes, ID checks, and non-transferable wristbands, mean those with resold tickets may be denied entry.
  • New laws, effective from 28 August, will ban unfair ticket transactions, including those using automated programmes, with violators facing fines up to 50 times the ticket's value.

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