Bulk Purchase and Resale of Pro Baseball and Performance Tickets
8.7 Billion Won in Illegal Profits Seized
An online ticket scalping ring that secured large quantities of tickets for popular performances and sports games and resold them has been caught by the police. It was revealed that they had systematically committed these acts for several years, using macro programs and so-called 'direct reservation links.'
The Cyber Crime Investigation Unit of the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency announced on the 29th that five individuals, including a man identified as A, have been referred to the prosecution without detention on charges including obstruction of business and unauthorized access to information and communications networks.
According to the police, three men including A, all in their 30s, used four accounts under the names of family members and acquaintances to purchase professional baseball season tickets from July 2022 to November 2025, a period of about three years and four months. They then used their advance booking privileges to secure a total of 18,300 tickets. They are accused of reselling these tickets through online secondhand trading sites on more than 7,400 occasions, making approximately 730 million won in profit.
They exploited the fact that season ticket holders can purchase multiple tickets earlier than the general public, and it was found that some tickets were sold at prices more than 50 times higher than face value.
Another scalper, a man in his 20s identified as B, used a 'direct reservation link (Jikring)' program, which enabled immediate access as soon as ticket sales opened, to secure 3,360 tickets over about two years from October 2023 to August 2025. He then resold them, making an illicit profit of about 130 million won.
There was also a case where a macro program was directly developed and used. A man in his 20s, identified as C, created three types of macro programs capable of automatic seat selection, repeated clicking, cancellation ticket detection, and payment. From May 2025, over a two-month period, he secured and resold 55 tickets, earning about 8 million won.
The police began their investigation after detecting accounts repeatedly selling large numbers of tickets while monitoring online secondhand trading communities. During searches and seizures, they also discovered ledgers detailing sales records and profits.
The police have completed the seizure and preservation of a total of 870 million won in illegal proceeds from these individuals.
A police official stated, "Online ticket scalping has been confirmed as a structural and repetitive crime that abuses technology, rather than an individual's misconduct," and added, "Improvements to the system are needed in the reservation, resale, and distribution stages."
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