Sold at Regular Price Instead of Restricted-View Seats
Stage Completely Blocked by Large Screen, No View Possible
The group Blackpink has reunited as a full group for the first time in about a year to kick off their world tour, but controversy has arisen as some restricted-view seats at the concert were sold as regular seats.
On the 6th, numerous posts raising complaints and issues regarding seat reservations for the recent Blackpink concert were uploaded on online communities and social networking services (SNS). Blackpink began their new world tour, 'The Deadline,' at the main stadium of Goyang Sports Complex in Gyeonggi Province on July 5 and 6. Meanwhile, on SNS, some attendees claimed that they were unable to properly view the performance due to large screen structures blocking the stage from certain seats. One user lamented, "I spent most of the concert just looking at a wall." In particular, some users stated that the large screen structures completely blocked their view of the stage.
On the 6th, numerous posts raising complaints and issues regarding seat reservations for the recent Blackpink concert were uploaded on online communities and social networking services (SNS). X (X)
The problematic seats were located in the 'N3' section, directly opposite the stage and at the very end of the venue. In front of this section, a console and a massive screen were installed, completely obstructing the view so that the stage was not visible at all. Despite this, the seats were not classified as restricted-view seats and were sold at the regular seat (B section) price of 132,000 won. Restricted-view seats were sold at 99,000 won. However, at the time of reservation, there was a notice stating, "Some seats may have restricted views due to stage production, artist positioning, consoles, structures, stage equipment, cameras, etc." In addition, areas where the view could be obstructed by railings or where there were table seats were specifically indicated, but there was no such notice for these 'B section' seats. Despite this, the price was higher than that of restricted-view seats, and attendees could only watch the performance via the screen, leading to criticism among users that it was "like watching a movie in a theater as a group."
As a result, some audience members questioned whether they should be entitled to a refund. However, the reservation page clearly stated that "refunds or exchanges for tickets due to obstructed views on the day of the performance are not possible." Some fans have responded by considering filing complaints with the Korea Consumer Agency. According to the Consumer Dispute Resolution Standards for performance events (as announced by the Fair Trade Commission), if the audience is unable to view the performance due to fault on the part of the organizer or host, they are entitled to a full refund of the ticket price as well as compensation equal to 10% of the admission fee. In fact, during Bruno Mars's 2023 concert in Korea, refunds were issued for 'wall view' seats from which neither the stage nor the screen was visible. Meanwhile, through the 'Deadline' world tour, Blackpink is set to release their new song 'Ttwieo' and meet fans around the world at stadiums and venues in a total of 16 cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Paris, Milan, Barcelona, London, Kaohsiung, Bangkok, Jakarta, Bulacan, Singapore, Tokyo, and Hong Kong.
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