From BTS Concerts to Illegal Ticket Purchases for KTX and SRT Trains
The police have uncovered 126 cases of illegal ticket scalping involving the use of macros and similar tools. In addition to high-profile concerts such as BTS performances, which have recently been at the center of public controversy, there have also been many cases involving the proxy purchase of train tickets for KTX and SRT lines.
Seoul Station ticket office ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday. The Asia Business Daily database
The National Office of Investigation at the National Police Agency announced on September 20 that, as part of a special crackdown on crimes disrupting people’s livelihoods and commodity prices over the past six months since March this year, they arrested 157 individuals for illegal ticket scalping using macros and similar means, with two of them taken into custody. Compared to the previous focused crackdown conducted from July to December last year, the number of cases apprehended has surged from 21 to 126, while the number of people arrested has jumped from 26 to 157—a sixfold increase. Proceeds of crime totaling around 2 billion won were also subject to pre-indictment confiscation and collection orders.
The police concentrated their efforts on blocking not only simple ticket scalping but also the organized underground market run by specialized scalpers exploiting macros. By type, there were 61 cases related to concerts and other performances, 50 involving sports such as baseball, and 8 involving tickets for trains. The number of individuals apprehended by category was 73 for performances, 64 for sports, and 11 for train tickets. In terms of age, those in their thirties accounted for the largest share, with 68 people (43.3%), followed by 53 people in their twenties (33.8%), indicating a concentration among younger generations.
A scene of booking train tickets using macros by illegal scalpers caught by the police. Photo by the National Police Agency
To prevent repeated offenses using the same criminal methods, the police have notified ticketing agencies, railway operators, and card companies of the security vulnerabilities and techniques used in these offenses that were uncovered during their investigations, and have provided recommendations for improvement.
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Hong Seokgi, Chief of the National Office of Investigation at the National Police Agency, stated, “Mass ticket purchasing and illegal resales using macros deprive the public of their fair opportunity to buy tickets. Those seeking unfair gains may face not only criminal penalties but also severe consequences such as forfeiture and seizure of criminal proceeds,” he said, adding, “With the Chuseok holiday approaching, we will sternly respond to ticket scalping transactions.”
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