The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on June 24 that it has requested a police investigation into 15 individuals suspected of mass-selling online scalped tickets for professional sports and performances.
The ministry explained that, based on reports and monitoring data collected between January 5 and June 16 of this year, it confirmed evidence of large-scale scalping activities and submitted the investigation request on June 23. The investigation focuses on cases suspected of illegal sales of professional sports and performance tickets posted on major secondhand trading platforms, especially where the same account repeatedly sold tickets for multiple events or sold dozens of tickets for a specific game. Analysis revealed that some sellers completed more than 100 transactions, with estimated sales exceeding 5 million won. There were also cases where dozens of tickets for a single event were sold.
The ministry stated that such transactions go beyond typical individual transfers or normal reservations. In particular, when a large quantity of tickets for the same event was sold, there is a possibility that the seller used illegal means, such as automated programs (macros), to secure tickets. Accordingly, the ministry provided relevant materials to the police and requested an investigation to determine whether automated programs were used and to clarify how the tickets were obtained.
In addition, the ministry stated that it is continuing to prepare for the implementation of the revised National Sports Promotion Act and Performance Act, which will take effect on August 28, by updating subordinate regulations and preparing the operation of reporting agencies, including new measures to prevent illegal transactions, fines, and reward systems for reporting violations. The revised National Sports Promotion Act and Performance Act prohibit all illegal transactions regardless of macro use, significantly increasing penalties by introducing fines of up to 50 times the sales amount and implementing a reward system for reporting violations.
Choi Hwi-Young, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, “Repeatedly securing and reselling a large number of tickets infringes on the legitimate viewing rights of sports fans and performance attendees and undermines the fairness of the reservation process,” adding, “The ministry will work closely with investigative agencies to take strict action against suspected macro use under current laws, and will make every effort to eradicate scalping in line with the implementation of the revised law.”
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Minister Choi Hwi-Young further emphasized, “The repeated acquisition and resale of a large number of tickets infringes upon the legitimate viewing opportunities of sports fans and performance attendees and damages the fairness of the reservation system. The ministry will take strict measures in cooperation with investigative agencies against suspected macro use under current laws, and will do its utmost to eradicate scalping as the revised law comes into force.”
This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.
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