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South Korea refers 170 scalping suspects to police under new ticket law
Versión 3: The ministry disclosed the details of its first scalping referrals under the revised laws: 170 suspects, 11,032 tickets and about 1.03 billion won in attempted sales, including four cases of fees or bundled goods, alongside report, blocking and postseason enforcement figures.
En breve
The Culture Ministry said on Oct. 7 that it had referred 170 people suspected of ticket scalping to police, the first such referrals since revised performance and sports laws took effect on Aug. 28. The suspects, 121 in professional sports and 49 in performances, are estimated to have tried to sell about 11,000 tickets worth roughly 1.03 billion won. Four cases involved fees or bundled goods instead of a direct markup, which the ministry said also counts as illegal resale.
Leer la noticia completa 3 min de lectura
The Culture Ministry said on Oct. 7 that it had referred 170 people suspected of ticket scalping to police on Oct. 6, the first such referrals since the revised Performance Act and National Sports Promotion Act took effect on Aug. 28. The suspects are estimated to have tried to sell 11,032 tickets with an expected value of 1,028,749,000 won, according to the ministry’s figures reported by Newsis, ZDNet Korea and Kyunghyang Shinmun. [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
The referrals break down into 121 people in professional sports and 49 in performances, the ministry said. Professional sports accounted for 10,660 tickets worth about 929 million won, while performances accounted for 372 tickets worth about 99 million won. Of the 170, 115 — about 68% — were reported based on posts registered on the resale site Ticketbay, according to ZDNet Korea and Kyunghyang. [ 4 , 6 , 8 ]
Large single cases were included. In sports, one person tried to sell as many as 1,018 tickets worth 101.48 million won, and one performance seller tried to sell as many as 109 tickets worth 19.1 million won, Kyunghyang reported; ZDNet gave the same top figures. Four of the referrals were so-called “variant” cases, in which sellers took separate fees or service charges or bundled other goods with tickets rather than charging a direct markup. The ministry said external and Legislation Ministry advice confirmed that such arrangements can be punished as illegal resale, and that it will keep analysing similar material. [ 5 , 6 , 8 ]
Reporting volume has risen sharply. From Aug. 28 to Oct. 1, about 68,000 reports were filed with the joint reporting agencies, an average of about 2,000 a day and roughly 17 times the level of a year earlier, according to ZDNet Korea and Kyunghyang. The agencies said that of about 45,000 valid reports after duplicates were removed, 30,000 led to posts being hidden in cooperation with platforms, ZDNet reported. The ministry also said the revised laws ban buying tickets improperly for resale and selling above the purchase price for habitual or business purposes regardless of macro use, with fines of up to 50 times the sale amount. [ 1 , 3 , 6 , 8 ]
Ahead of the professional baseball postseason, the ministry said it will conduct on-site enforcement with police at every game and run promotion booths at major stadiums, along with reminders on stadium and venue screens and social media. Newsis reported that the reward for reporting improper purchases can reach 50 million won, and that rewards for reporting improper sales can reach up to 50% of the fine imposed. [ 5 , 6 , 8 ]
Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young said “ticket scalping is a clear criminal act that takes away the legitimate rights of creators and athletes and disrupts the market,” and thanked the public and platforms for their cooperation. On Oct. 6 he had reported to a cabinet meeting that 157 scalpers were arrested, that 68,158 reports were filed and that 170 suspected habitual scalpers were referred to police, Yonhap and Asia Economy reported. Asia Economy also reported that President Lee Jae-myung called accumulated ticket scalping a “deep-rooted abuse” and asked officials to pay special attention. [ 1 , 3 , 6 , 8 ]
Por qué importa
This is the government’s first batch of scalping referrals since tougher penalties took effect in August, so it sets an early test of how the revised law will be enforced. The ministry also says it is preparing measures against sales through overseas platforms and will run on-site checks at every professional baseball postseason game, which affects how tickets for Korean events are bought and resold.
Datos clave
- The Culture Ministry said it referred 170 suspected scalpers to police on Oct. 6, the first referrals since the revised laws took effect on Aug. 28. [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
- Of the 170, 121 are in professional sports and 49 in performances. [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 8 ]
- The suspects attempted to sell 11,032 tickets with an expected value of 1,028,749,000 won. [ 4 , 6 , 8 ]
- Professional sports accounted for 10,660 tickets worth about 929 million won, and performances 372 tickets worth about 99 million won. [ 4 , 6 , 8 ]
- Some 68,000 reports were filed between Aug. 28 and Oct. 1, about 2,000 a day and roughly 17 times the level of a year earlier. [ 1 , 3 , 6 , 8 ]
- 115 of the 170 suspects, about 68%, were reported based on posts registered on Ticketbay. [ 6 , 8 ]
- Four suspected “variant” cases were included, involving fees, service charges or goods bundled with tickets, which the ministry said also constitute illegal resale. [ 5 , 6 , 8 ]
- The ministry said it will carry out on-site enforcement with police at all professional baseball postseason games and operate promotion booths at major stadiums. [ 5 , 6 ]
Confirmado por varias fuentes
- The Culture Ministry said on Oct. 7 that it had referred 170 suspected scalpers to police on Oct. 6, the first such referrals since the revised laws took effect. [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
- The 170 suspects comprise 121 in professional sports and 49 in performances. [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 8 ]
- The suspects attempted to sell 11,032 tickets with an expected sale value of 1,028,749,000 won. [ 4 , 6 , 8 ]
- Professional sports accounted for 10,660 tickets worth about 929 million won; performances accounted for 372 tickets worth about 99 million won. [ 4 , 6 , 8 ]
- Reports filed between Aug. 28 and Oct. 1 totalled about 68,000, about 2,000 a day and roughly 17 times the level of a year earlier. [ 1 , 3 , 6 , 8 ]
- The revised Performance Act and National Sports Promotion Act took effect on Aug. 28, banning resale above the purchase price for habitual or business purposes regardless of macro use, with fines of up to 50 times the sale amount. [ 1 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 8 ]
- Of the 170 suspects, 115 were reported based on posts on Ticketbay. [ 6 , 8 ]
- Four suspected “variant” cases were included, in which sellers took separate fees or service charges or bundled other goods with tickets. [ 5 , 6 , 8 ]
- The ministry said it would carry out on-site enforcement with police at all professional baseball postseason games and run promotion booths at major stadiums. [ 5 , 6 ]
Aún sin aclarar
- Whether the 170 suspects referred to police are among the 157 scalpers reported arrested, or a separate group. The Oct. 6 cabinet report gave an arrest figure of 157, while the Oct. 7 announcements describe 170 people referred for investigation; no document says how the two numbers relate.
- What specific measures will be taken against scalping through overseas platforms, and when. The minister said international cooperation, designation of domestic representatives for overseas platforms and other measures are being prepared, but no details or timetable were given.
- What fines, prosecutions or convictions result from the referrals. The documents give expected sale values and potential penalties under the law, but no outcomes; the referrals have only just been made.
- President Lee Jae-myung’s remark that accumulated ticket scalping is a “deep-rooted abuse” and his instruction to pay special attention. Reported by one outlet only; other documents do not mention the president’s comments.
Qué dicen los medios locales
Cronología, hora local
- Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young reports to a cabinet meeting that 157 scalpers were arrested, that 68,158 reports were filed and that 170 suspected habitual scalpers were referred to police, Yonhap reports. [ 1 ]
- Newsis publishes a headline on the 157 arrests and a tactic of giving baseball tickets as a free gift with player photos. [ 2 ]
- Asia Economy reports the same arrest and report figures and adds that President Lee Jae-myung called accumulated ticket scalping a “deep-rooted abuse.” [ 3 ]
- Asia Economy reports the ministry referred 170 suspects and that they tried to sell 11,032 tickets worth 1,028,749,000 won. [ 4 ]
- Newsis reports the referral of 170 suspects, the 121-49 split, the roughly 11,000 tickets and 1 billion won, a case of more than 1,000 tickets, a case above 100 million won and four “variant” cases. [ 5 ]
- ZDNet Korea reports the referral, the report and blocking figures, the Ticketbay share and the maximum single-seller cases. [ 6 ]
- Chosun Ilbo publishes the ministry’s official release under a headline on the 170 suspects, the 1.03 billion won scale and the 50-fold fine. [ 7 ]
- Kyunghyang Shinmun reports one seller tried to sell as much as 101.48 million won in tickets and a performance seller as much as 1,910 million won. [ 8 ]