Hotel Rates Soar Amid BTS Busan Concert Announcement... Price Gouging Controversy as Reservations Sell Out

Heightened Expectations as Concert Coincides with Debut Anniversary and Members' Hometowns
Hotel Prices Soar on Concert Dates... Concerns Over "Price Gouging" Emerge

Following the announcement of BTS's concert in Busan, hotel reservations in the area are rapidly selling out. There are also confirmed cases of steep price hikes at some accommodations, raising concerns that the issue of price gouging may resurface. The concert holds special significance as it will be held in the members' hometowns to coincide with their debut anniversary, further intensifying fan interest.

BTS. Big Hit Music

According to BTS's agency Big Hit Music and sources in the entertainment industry on January 15, BTS will kick off their world tour on April 9. The tour will include a total of 79 performances across 34 cities in North America, Europe, South America, and Asia.

In Korea, Busan is the only non-metropolitan area where a concert will be held. The performances are scheduled for June 12 and 13, with June 13 marking BTS's debut anniversary. The fact that the concert will also take place in the hometowns of members Jimin and Jungkook has heightened anticipation among fans. However, the specific concert venue has not yet been announced.

As soon as news of the Busan concert broke, local hotel reservations were quickly snapped up. Although only a limited number of rooms were released in advance, it is now difficult to find any available rooms for reservation.

Hotel accommodation rates on the day of the Busan performance. Screenshot from online booking site.

With competition for tickets intensifying, concerns over price gouging have resurfaced. On accommodation booking platforms, the rate for a deluxe double room at a luxury hotel in Busan on the concert day was set at 785,000 won. This is more than double the rate of the previous week (298,000 won) or the following week (390,000 won). At a well-known four-star chain hotel in Haeundae, rooms that typically cost in the 300,000 won range were being sold for about 670,000 won on the concert day.

Previously, during the free BTS concert held in 2022 to promote the Busan Expo bid, there was also controversy over skyrocketing accommodation prices. Some properties attempted to set rates up to 30 times higher than usual, drawing criticism.

At that time, the Busan city government operated an accommodation price reporting center and conducted joint on-site inspections, demanding corrective action. Attention is now focused on whether similar measures will be implemented ahead of this concert.