Amidst the nationwide tour concert ticket sales of singer Lim Young-woong becoming a hot topic due to record-breaking "picketing" (intensely competitive ticketing to the point of bloodshed), a cafe employee who helped a middle-aged customer unfamiliar with online booking successfully purchase tickets has been revealed, touching many hearts. Lim Young-woong himself commented on the video, saying, "I’m moved to tears too. It’s heartwarming."
A, an employee working at a cafe in Ogeum-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, posted CCTV footage from the cafe on Instagram and YouTube on the 14th under the title "Helping a First-Time Customer Get Lim Young-woong Tickets."
In the video, around 8:15 PM that day, A is seen leaning over a table where a middle-aged woman is seated, looking at a mobile phone. A young boy is standing next to the customer. At that time, A knew that the customer visiting the cafe was trying to book tickets for Lim Young-woong’s concert and was assisting her.
Shortly after, the two women stomp their feet and clasp their hands together in celebration. The middle-aged woman even removes her glasses and covers her face in disbelief and emotion. A, sharing the joy as if it were their own, looks again at the phone confirming the successful booking. The boy, seemingly bothered by the noise, covers his ears and leaves the spot.
A recounted the situation, saying, "The customer was extremely nervous from 7 PM because she really wanted to go but didn’t know how to book tickets. I helped her, and fortunately, we succeeded, so we shouted together."
Netizens who watched the video responded with comments such as, "You really did something great," "You gave that fan a lifelong unforgettable happy memory," and "I’m overwhelmed. Seeing their joy makes me proud."
As the video gained attention, Lim Young-woong himself left a comment on A’s Instagram, writing, "I’m moved to tears too. It’s heartwarming. May your future always be 건행 (a shortened form of 'healthy and happy'). My fans and I always support you."
Earlier on the 14th at 8 PM, ticket sales for the 2023 Lim Young-woong nationwide tour concert opened on the ticketing site Interpark Ticket. Traffic surged to a record high of approximately 3.7 million within one minute of opening, and tickets sold out instantly. This marked the highest traffic ever recorded on Interpark.
As a result, the term "picketing" (intensely competitive ticketing to the point of bloodshed) became popular, and scalped tickets with prices dozens of times higher than face value also flourished. In response, Lim Young-woong’s agency, Mulgogi Music, announced a strong stance, stating, "We will immediately cancel any bookings considered illegal transactions without prior notice."
Meanwhile, Lim Young-woong’s concert will be held from the 27th of next month until January 7th of next year in Seoul, Daegu, Busan, Daejeon, Gwangju, and other cities.
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