[2025 Audit] 480,000 Reports of Sports Ticket Scalping... Zero Prosecutions

6 Billion Won Spent Over 5 Years, Only Three Dedicated Staff Members
Law Amended, But Enforcement Regulations Still Lacking

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The "Online Scalping Report Center," established to crack down on scalping in professional sports, received 480,000 reports over five years but failed to prosecute a single case. Despite an investment of over 600 million won, the center has been virtually inactive.

According to data released by Assemblyman Kim Jaewon on October 29, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism reported that since the center was established in 2020, there have been 481,227 reports and monitoring cases as of last month. However, none of these cases were referred to investigative authorities, and there have been no indictments or penalties.

The center is operated by the Korea Professional Sports Association under commission from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. When a report is filed, the association monitors the case, then relays information to ticketing companies and sports teams, and sends warning notices to buyers. However, if there is no seat number, it is impossible to identify the buyer, and referrals to investigative authorities are not made due to the Personal Information Protection Act.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism stated that it has never coordinated with investigative agencies. More than 100 million won is spent annually on the center's operation, totaling over 600 million won so far. This year’s allocated budget is 184 million won. However, the dedicated staff consists of only one association employee and two contract workers.

In March this year, the Ministry amended the National Sports Promotion Act to include provisions banning macro-based ticket purchases and the illegal resale of tickets. However, enforcement decrees and regulations have yet to be established. There have also been no records of requests to block or delete scalping posts on major platforms such as Ticket Bay and Danggeun Market.

Assemblyman Kim stressed, "Entrusting enforcement to an association with vested interests in sports teams is structurally flawed," adding, "Like copyright enforcement, the system should be converted to a special judicial police framework to secure real investigative authority."