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Ticket scalping surges for sold-out BTS concerts in Korea

Published: 27 Jan. 2026, 20:37 Updated: 28 Jan. 2026, 00:50

WOO JI-WON
[email protected]

The teaser artwork for BTS’s upcoming album ″Arirang″ [BIGHIT MUSIC]

BTS's concerts on the outskirts of Seoul sold out instantly, but illegal ticket resales are surging, pushing some prices to nearly 40 times their face value.

On the global resale platform StubHub, tickets for BTS's April 11 performance at Goyang Main Stadium in Goyang, Gyeonggi, were listed for as much as 10.37 million won ($7,000) for seats in Section W-F3, one of the closest areas to the main stage, as of 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Tickets for other dates were also listed above 10 million won.

BTS's Seoul concert ticket is listed at 10.3 million won on global resale platform StubHub on Tuesday. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Considering that the highest official ticket price for the Goyang concert was 264,000 won, which included access to a sound check event, these listings are priced at more than 39 times the original cost.

Tickets for all three Goyang shows, scheduled for April 9, 11 and 12, sold out during fan club presales on Thursday.

Resale activity has also spread rapidly across local secondhand platforms. On Junggonara, one of Korea's largest online flea market sites, tickets were listed for prices as high as 900,000 won as of Tuesday.

BTS's Arirang Concert in Goyang Stadium Concert is listed at 900,000 won on online flea-market platform Junggonara. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Although ticket resales are not permitted, sellers in these posts often claimed their transactions are "safe," offering methods such as account transfers and in-person ticket handovers on the day of the concert.

On the ticketing platform NOL Ticket, which handled sales for the BTS Goyang concerts, it is clearly stated on the concert’s booking page that ticket transfers, proxy purchases and counterfeit tickets are prohibited. Concertgoers must also bring valid government-issued identification for entry.

Bookings found to have been purchased using abnormal methods — such as reselling or the use of macro programs — may be revoked, and access to the platform’s services may be restricted, according to the page.

The illegal resale problem is expected to intensify as the concert dates approach. While ticket sales for BTS's Busan concerts have not yet opened, social media platforms such as X and Threads are already filled with posts advertising proxy ticketing services.

An X user was seen advertising assistance in securing tickets using the latest macro programs in exchange for a fee.

A X user wrote on X that they would trade 200 units of Dubai chewy cookies for BTS's concert ticket. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The intense demand for BTS's hard-to-get tickets has also sparked viral moments online. One fan posted on X on Sunday that they would trade 200 units of Dubai chewy cookies, currently a hot craze in Korea, for a concert ticket. It drew more than 22,000 likes with 4,400 reposts.

Recognizing the reselling problem, BTS fans have already begun reporting suspected scalpers and urging both the agency and ticketing platforms to take stronger action. Fan communities online are calling for "a full audit of tickets obtained through abnormal queue bypasses, stricter identification checks at entry and verification of wristbands" to prevent unauthorized transfers.

Korea's ticket resale problem remains unresolved. While government authorities are discussing additional legislation to address online ticket scalping, no comprehensive or fully effective legal framework has been implemented.

BTS's "Arirang" tour is set to span 82 performances across 34 cities in Asia, North America, South America and Europe, with additional dates to be announced for Japan and the Middle East. The band has also sold out all announced shows in North America and Europe.

BY WOO JI-WON [[email protected]]