Psy’s “Summer Swag” concert has been identified as the most frequently targeted event by illegal ticket scalpers over the past year, according to recent data.
‘Summer Swag 2024’ Tour Targeted By Illegal Ticket Scalpers
On October 6 KST, Rep. Kang Yoo Jung of the Democratic Party, who serves as a member of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, released a report highlighting the scale of ticket scalping from November 2023 to July 2024. The report revealed a total of 3,400 cases of illegal online ticket resales, with music concerts accounting for 2,556 cases (75.2%), making it the most affected category.
Fan meetings and festivals were also significant targets, with 519 scalping reports, followed by gaming events (200 cases) and musicals (125 cases).
Most of the illegal ticket sales occurred on second-hand resale platforms like Danggeun Market and Joonggo Nara, which accounted for 80% (2,721) of the reported cases. Social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram saw 626 instances of ticket scalping.
During the November 2023 to July 2024 period, authorities were able to validate 114 scalping reports. The Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) responded to 109 cases by taking actions such as ticket cancellations, verifying identities, and suspending suspicious accounts. Of these, 44 tickets were confirmed to be falsified, involving fake booking numbers or seat assignments.
Among the 65 valid cases that resulted in enforcement actions, Psy’s “Summer Swag” concert had the highest number of scalping incidents, with 15 cases. Other performances that saw high levels of ticket scalping included Na Hoon A’s “2024 Last Concert” and Younha’s “20th Anniversary Concert”. In total, scalped tickets were shockingly discovered for 34 different performances.
Rep. Kang also emphasized the need for stronger deterrents to curb illegal ticket resales, arguing that the current system undermines citizens’ cultural rights. She also called for the implementation of advanced technical measures to prevent scalping and urged for stricter legal penalties to make the practice unprofitable.