Concert tickets priced at 5 million won... Kwon Ik-wi calls for criminal punishment of ticket scalping

Limitations on Punishing Only Macro Users
Recommendation to Improve Punishment System for Ticket Scalping Itself
Request to Establish Regulations for Confiscation of Illicit Profits

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission has recommended that criminal penalties be imposed if concert or sports event tickets are purchased for commercial purposes and resold at a markup.

On the 12th, the Commission announced that it has prepared measures to eradicate illegal ticket trading for performances and sports events and recommended the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to improve the system regarding ticket scalping.

[Image source=Asia Economy DB]

Under the current Performance Act and National Sports Promotion Act, sanctions are only specified for ticket scalping using macro programs. However, there are no regulations to penalize ticket scalping itself, where tickets are resold at a markup. As a result, problems have arisen where tickets for singer Lim Young-woong's concerts are sold at prices exceeding 5 million won, failing to completely block illegal ticket trading.

Recognizing this issue, the Commission recommended the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to improve the system so that all illegal ticket trading can be punished regardless of the use of macro programs.

Specifically, it requested a complete ban on reselling tickets at a markup for commercial purposes regardless of macro usage, and the establishment of provisions for confiscation and recovery of profits from illegal ticket sales. It also recommended raising the level of criminal penalties for violations and differentiating the severity of punishment according to the degree of legal infringement.

Additionally, the Commission defined the standard for judging illegal sales as the "official ticket price," and stipulated that any resale of tickets at prices higher than the official price should be considered unfair trade. It also established a basis for designating an agency to handle reports of illegal ticket sales and carry out related duties.

A Commission official said, "We hope that this system improvement will foster a proper culture for performances and sports events."