Advertisement fees at subway stations soar leaving fandoms frustrated

A 2020 fan billboard celebrating the birthday of boy band NCT's Jaehyun in a subway station in Seoul. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Fees for posting advertisements on subway station walls have soared, much to the dismay of fandoms that frequently buy them to celebrate birthdays of their favorite K-pop stars and actors.

According to entertainment and advertisement industry insiders on Monday, billboard fees in Samsung station, southern Seoul, increased by 50 percent from 4.5 million won ($3,750) to 7 million won. Samsung station, which is connected to the major convention center and mall Coex, is known as the prime location for so-called “celebrity birthday celebration advertisements."

Samsung station and Gangnam station in southern Seoul, as well as western Seoul’s Hongik University station, are hot spots for fandoms to put up such ads due to a high amount of foot traffic and youths. The three stations are on line 2 of Seoul Metro, which goes through many of the city’s most popular locations.

Gangnam station and Hongik University station also charge around 7 million won for the billboards. The fee is approximately 5 million won for Euljiro 1(il)-ga station, Konkuk University station, Jamsil station and Seoul National University of Education station; 4 million won for Wangsimni station, Seolleung station and Yeoksam station; 3 million won for Ewha Womans University station, Yeongdeungpo-gu Office station and Seocho station. The fees are determined by advertisement agencies that bid for each station.

Several fandoms, such as fans of actor Shin Ha-kyun and volleyball player Kim Yeon-koung, changed their upcoming billboards’ locations or lengthened their fundraising campaigns due to increased fees.

A total of 2,166 fan billboards were posted in 2019. Boy band BTS was featured the most, in 227 advertisements. Only 76 fan billboards were put up in 2014, but such ads spiked in popularity since 2016 due to fans supporting their favorite contestants on idol audition shows.

BY HALEY YANG [yang.hyunjoo@joongang.co.kr]