SEOUL (ANN/THE KOREA HERALD) – South Korea’s legal framework struggles to effectively enforce ticket scalping regulations, as highlighted by Chairman Yoon Dong-hwan of the Record Label Industry Association of Korea.
His comments come in response to the association’s latest report examining ticket scalping laws in seven foreign countries, including Japan, China, Taiwan, the US, Canada, France, and Belgium.
The report, released on Tuesday, reveals that these nations impose fines ranging from USD1,500 to USD75,000 for ticket scalping offences.
In the US, those who buy or resell tickets using macro programs that automatically complete the repetitive online ticketing process can face a fine of up to USD1,500.
Japan prohibits the reselling of tickets at a price higher by law, and those who violate the law can face up to a year in prison or a fine of JPY1 million (USD6,784).
Taiwan also regulates the reselling of tickets at a price higher than face value, with fines amounting to 10 to 50 times the original price of the ticket. Those who purchase tickets using macros can be sentenced to up to 3 years in prison or face a fine of up to TWD3 million (USD96,230).
Canada allows the reselling of tickets at a price that is at most 50 percent higher than the original price. Any violation of the law can result in up to two years in prison or a fine of up to CAD50,000 (USD37,288).
In France, ticket scalping faces fines of up to EUR15,000 (USD1,625), while in Belgium, that maximum fine is EUR60,000.
“Countries have revised their ticket scalping-related laws after recognizing the seriousness of ticket scalping in 2018, when macros first appeared,” said Yoon Dong-hwan, chairman of the Record Label Industry Association of Korea.
“But South Korea has such powerful consumer protection laws that ticket purchases can be cancelled without any penalty (to the buyer) within seven days of purchase. (The purchase) can even be cancelled on the day of the event with a commission of up to only 30 percent incurred (by the buyer). It’s the perfect country for making money from scalping.”
Since March 2022, South Korea has started to enforce the Public Performance Act, which punishes those who buy tickets using macros with up to a year in prison or a fine of up to KRW10 million (USD7,500).
Industry insiders say, however, that the law will only have a restricted scope in prohibiting ticket scalping, as it only restricts the use of macros.
