First Paid 'Myeongdang' This Year... Blocking Safety Issues and Overcharging
Online Platform Ticket Scalping Trades at 200,000 to 250,000 Won Per Ticket
On the 5th, ahead of the ‘Seoul World Fireworks Festival 2024,’ which is expected to attract a crowd of over one million people, it has been revealed that ticket scalping is rampant.
The event organizer, Hanwha, converted some sections of the previously free ‘Main Fireworks Show’ to paid seating starting this year, citing safety management and other reasons. A total of 2,500 paid seats were priced at 165,000 KRW each.
Hanwha stated that all proceeds from ticket sales will be used to enhance event safety, convenience facilities, and safety management personnel.
According to Hanwha on the 2nd, the paid seats sold out around the 29th of last month. These seats, which began selling on a performance ticketing site from the 2nd of last month, are set up on the grass and parking lot within Yeouido Hangang Citizen’s Park. They are located 450 meters in a straight line from the barge on the Han River where the fireworks are launched. This is considered a prime spot to watch the fireworks up close.
However, the purpose of introducing paid seats to expand safety personnel and prevent ‘overcharging’ has been undermined as ticket scalping is rampant. News1 reported on the 3rd that paid seats are being traded on some online platforms for about 200,000 to 250,000 KRW per ticket.
In the past, for ticket scalping to be punishable as a minor offense, the ticket transactions had to take place at actual venues such as stadiums, and online transactions were considered exceptions.
However, with the enforcement of the amended Performance Act in March, online illegal transactions may now also be subject to punishment. In other words, all scalping transactions, except for transferring tickets purchased through legitimate channels without profit, can be legally penalized.
According to the revised Article 4 of the Performance Act, if someone uses macro programs to buy performance tickets and resells them at a higher price, they can face imprisonment of up to one year or a fine of up to 10 million KRW.
Recently, scalpers who used macro programs to bulk purchase tickets for famous singers such as Na Hoon-a and Lim Young-woong and resold them for profit were caught by the police. This is the first arrest since the amendment of the Performance Act.
According to the police, these individuals are suspected of using macros (programs designed to repeatedly perform specific tasks with a single input) to purchase tickets for famous singers’ concerts and musicals from 2021 until August this year, then reselling the tickets on the secondary market for profit.
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