Seoul hotels already price gouging visitors for downtown BTS show in March

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Seoul hotels already price gouging visitors for downtown BTS show in March

Published: 26 Jan. 2026, 18:52 Updated: 27 Jan. 2026, 14:58

WOO JI-WON
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Accommodation prices at one hotel in Jongno District surged fivefold on March 21, when BTS is expected to perform at Gwanghwamun Square. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

As the return stage of megaband BTS at Gwanghwamun Square in mid-March has all but been confirmed, accommodation prices in nearby areas are already surging, prompting complaints of price gouging and overbooking.

Several online travel booking platforms on Monday showed lodging prices in Jongno and Jung districts climbing to as much as five times their usual weekend rates for the night before and the day of the performance, March 21.

Four-star Koreana Hotel near Gwanghwamun Station, which charges an average of 225,000 won ($156) for a Saturday-night room in Feburary, listed the same rooms at 1.35 million won for March 21. President Hotel listed rooms for March 21 at 443,000 won, double this Saturday’s price of 205,000 won.

Some hotels, including the five-star Four Seasons hotel, have already sold out, despite some listing prices more than double compared to regular weekends.

“We are gradually seeing more reservations after the news broke out that BTS will perform at Gwanghwamun Square," said an official from Nine Tree By Parnas Seoul Insadong.

Motels nearby are seeing similar trends. A motel in Jongno saw its standard Saturday rate rise from around 130,000 won to 480,000 won on the night of the performance, while another motel increased its usual 210,000 won room to 630,000 won.

The surge comes as the Gwanghwamun performance will mark BTS's first appearance as a full group in three years and nine months. The free event will also serve as the launch stage for the group's fifth full-length album, “Arirang.”

People take photos in front of a promotional installation for boy band BTS's comeback in front of the Sejong Arts Center in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Jan. 22. [YONHAP]

An official at the Seoul Metropolitan Government told Korea JoongAng Daily Monday morning that three complaints have been separately filed so far: one involving a case of price doubling and two involving overbooking, in which customers were forced to cancel their reservations.

To what is described as so-called “rip-off pricing,” the city government has been working to counter the price gouging problem.

“Starting today, we are conducting inspections of accommodation facilities in Jongno and Jung districts, jointly with our tourism division and district offices," a Seoul city official told Korea JoongAng Daily. The inspections cover approximately 280 accommodation facilities in Jongno and 411 in Jung, both located near the performance venue.

On-site inspections focus on whether businesses have properly listed their room rates within their posted rates and whether prices have risen excessively.

Under the Public Health Control Act, accommodation providers such as hotels and motels are required to publicly post their official prices. Charging more than the posted rate can result in administrative penalties, beginning with corrective orders and escalating to eventual closure for repeated violations.

However, the effectiveness of such measures is limited, as accommodation providers are legally allowed to revise their posted prices. And with no legal cap on room rates, as long as businesses charge within their self-posted price categories, even if prices surge by three or five times their usual level, it remains difficult to impose penalties, according to government officials.

“The purpose of these inspections is to encourage voluntary restraint," the Seoul official said. “It is also meant to signal that authorities are monitoring the situation and that accommodation providers should refrain from charging excessively high rates."

A Jung District official said the district is also monitoring online travel agency platforms and sending official notices to accommodation providers in an effort to ease the problem.

A similar price-gouging pattern has also emerged in Busan, after the news broke that BTS World Tour concerts will take place in the port city on June 12 and 13. According to industry sources, some accommodation providers there have raised prices by as much as tenfold.

At one property in Dongnae District, a room priced at 68,000 won on June 10 jumped to 769,000 won on June 12 and 13. Another accommodation in Gijang County raised its rate from 99,000 won on June 10 to 790,000 won on June 12 and June 13. With the Busan concert venue yet to be finalized, accommodation prices across the city have risen overall.

In response to price spikes, Busan city authorities are seeking to expand incentives for “Good Price" establishments — a program run by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and local governments that rewards accommodation providers and restaurants offering reasonable prices, clean facilities and quality service with benefits such as tax reductions, promotional support and supplies. Currently, only five accommodation providers in Busan are registered under the program.

Seoul, however, has taken a more cautious stance. A Seoul city official said discussions on expanding support for Good Price accommodation providers are “currently underway," though nothing has been confirmed. At present, only two such establishments operate in Jongno District.

An estimated 200,000 fans from around the world are expected to travel to central Seoul for BTS's long-awaited return. Guests who believe they have been overcharged may file complaints through a QR-based price-gouging reporting system operated by the Korea Tourism Organization.

BY WOO JI-WON [[email protected]]