Concert ticket scalped for W15.5m? Sellers now face fines up to 50 times the sale price

A Coldplay ticket scalped for 15.5 million won ($11,200). A Seventeen ticket going for 5 million won.

To break the cycle of scalped tickets trading for hundreds of thousands — or even millions — of won, the government has introduced sweeping new measures, including fines of up to 50 times the sale price. Informants who report illegal sales will also receive up to 50 percent of the fine imposed on the violator.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Friday it will begin enforcing revised enforcement decrees under the Performance Act and the National Sports Promotion Act, aimed at stamping out ticket scalping at concerts and sporting events.

The amendments focus on blocking all forms of fraudulent ticket transactions at the source and holding platform operators accountable. Crucially, the rules apply regardless of whether automated macro programs were used — all unauthorized transactions are covered.

Ticket sellers and online marketplace operators are now required to take specific technical and administrative steps: verifying user identities, operating reporting functions, restricting the visibility of fraudulent listings, notifying users of potential fines, and limiting post exposure upon request from designated reporting agencies. Designated reporting bodies — including the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation and the Korea Creative Content Agency — may demand that operators submit information on users behind fraudulent listings, including network access records. Operators that refuse without justification or submit false information face fines of up to 5 million won.

Penalties for scalpers have also been toughened. Illegal sellers face fines of up to 50 times the transaction amount, applied on a sliding scale. Mitigating factors — such as the scale of profit gained and the degree of cooperation with investigators — have been built into the framework.

Whistleblowers who report illegal purchases can receive rewards of up to 50 million won ($36,200), while those who report illegal sales may receive up to 50 percent of the fine levied against the violator. The ministry said it will apply reasonable judgment, taking all legal factors into account, for ticket transfers that fall within common-sense limits.

A government meeting held Friday brought together the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Korea Fair Trade Commission and the Korean National Police Agency alongside major ticketing platforms — NOL Ticket, Melon Ticket, YES24, Coupang Play and Ticket Link — as well as secondhand trading platforms including Naver, Karrot, Bungaejangter, Junggo Nara and Ticketbay. Designated reporting agencies and industry associations, including the Korea Baseball Organization, also attended to review on-the-ground enforcement readiness.

Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young said at the meeting that the government was "fully prepared to address the scalping problem that threatens the sustainable growth of K-culture," adding that it would "work closely with the Korean National Police Agency and other relevant agencies to guarantee fair access for concertgoers and sports fans and establish an equitable ticketing order."

The ministry also said it would move quickly to amend the Act on the Promotion of Motion Pictures and Video Products to close regulatory blind spots around movie ticket scalping, which has been spreading in recent months, particularly at premium-format screens.