(ANN/KOREA HERALD) – Amid the persistent issue of ticket scalping plaguing South Korea’s music scene, artists are implementing innovative measures to protect fans from exorbitant prices.
Singer Jang Beom-jun announced the adoption of blockchain technology for ticket sales at his upcoming concert, selling tickets as non-fungible tokens to deter resale.
This move comes after Jang’s previous concert, fully booked but plagued by scalping issues, prompted the cancellation of all reservations.
K-pop sensation IU took a proactive stance by banning individuals caught selling tickets illegally from her fan club. In a unique twist, the person reporting such activities is rewarded with the ticket instead, introducing a self-policing mechanism.
Singer Sung Si-kyung addressed the issue by selling many tickets on-site during his year-end concert, urging fans on Instagram to refrain from illegal purchases to avoid cancellations and to ensure fair on-site availability.
Several artists, including Lim Young-woong, have adopted a no-warning policy for canceling suspicious reservations linked to scalping. Lim recently canceled 118 reservations for his concert, priced at KRW160,000 won (USD120), amidst reports of resale prices reaching up to KRW5 million.
Ticket scalping remains a significant challenge in the local music industry, with a survey by the Record Label Industry Association of Korea revealing that 32.8 per cent of individuals aged 19-29 have purchased scalped tickets. The association estimates that approximately half of sold-out performances see tickets diverted to scalpers.
In response to the escalating issue, South Korea amended the Public Performance Act to criminalise the use of targeted software (macros) for ticket purchases.
However, calls persist for a comprehensive overhaul to address the long-standing legal gaps in combating online ticket scalping, a problem deeply entrenched in the industry for decades.
