South Korean police have dismantled a large-scale illegal ticket scalping ring that targeted major K-pop concerts, even going so far as to disguise themselves as K-pop fans. SEVENTEEN to catch retailers in the act.
On March 11, the Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency’s Cyber Crime Investigation Unit announced that 16 suspects had been arrested on charges of obstructing business and violating the Performance Act. Among them, three key figures identified as ringleaders have been placed in detention while the investigation continues.
Authorities revealed that the group operated from October 2022 to January 2025, running an online community with 1,309 members dedicated to the illegal ticket trade. Within the group, members shared self-developed macro software designed to automatically purchase concert tickets the moment sales opened. They also exchanged ticket-hunting strategies, monitored price fluctuations and warned each other about police surveillance.
Over the course of three years, the network targeted more than 190 major events and illegally resold over 30,300 tickets, generating illicit profits of approximately 7.1 billion won (about $5.3 million).
Investigators said many suspects had previous experience in the IT industry, allowing them to exploit vulnerabilities in online ticketing platforms. Their macro programs could pre-select seats before sales opened and immediately complete payment once tickets were released, a tactic known as “awaiting payment”. The group also used automated tools to purchase canceled tickets and created multiple accounts to circumvent ticket purchase limits.
To catch the suspects, police launched a large-scale crackdown on ticket scalping in August 2024. Officers initially targeted small-scale retailers outside concert venues before expanding their investigation to uncover the wider network behind the operation.
In a notable undercover operation, the officers disguised themselves as fans attending an event SIXTEEN Concert and arranged a meeting with a scalper who was selling a VIP ticket originally priced at 198,000 won for 1.6 million won, about eight times the original price. The sting operation led to the arrest of the suspect on the spot.
The scalping ring targeted numerous high-demand concerts and events featuring top Korean stars. These included tours and shows involving artists such as G-Dragon, BLACKPINK, UIAND Lim Young-woong.
Some tickets were resold at extreme markups. For example, VIP tickets for some concerts, originally priced at a few hundred thousand won, have been sold online for up to 90 million won, depending on demand.
The investigation was conducted in collaboration with entertainment companies, including HYBE, as well as major online ticketing platforms that provided monitoring data to the authorities.
Police confirmed that a software developer linked to the operation has fled abroad and is currently subject to an Interpol red notice. Authorities continue to expand their investigation to identify additional ticket scalping networks operating both inside and outside of South Korea.
Sources: Netizenbuzz
