"I also want to see Jeon Byeong-woo's home run" Fans who couldn't get Korean Series tickets angry at scalpers

Online Ticket Scalping Rampant... Reselling at 2-3 Times the Official Price
Offline Penalties Exist, but Online Remains a Blind Spot for Crackdown

On the 1st at Incheon SSG Landers Field, the first game of the 2022 KBO League Korean Series between the Kiwoom Heroes and SSG Landers took place. In the top of the 10th inning with two outs and runners on first and second, Kiwoom's Jeon Byeong-woo hit an RBI single. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] '3-2→4-3→5-4→6-5→7-6.' This was the result of Game 1 of the Korean Series between the Kiwoom Heroes and the SSG Landers held on the 1st. After an extended battle, Kiwoom achieved a dramatic comeback victory over SSG with a score of 7-6. The spectators who watched the game in person all stood up, cheering not only the team anthem but also the players, and Jeon Byeong-woo of Kiwoom, who hit a go-ahead two-run homerun with one out and runners on second base in the top of the 9th inning, roared from the dugout.

From the playoffs to the Korean Series, tickets have been sold out day after day. However, due to scalpers, fans are complaining that actually witnessing the 'unscripted drama' scenes is like 'catching stars in the sky.' Although tickets are sold out every day, there are some empty seats when visiting the stadium. Most of these are seats that scalpers bought in bulk but have not yet sold.

As ticket purchases have shifted mainly online, scalpers have become even more rampant. Online scalping has become easier because mobile tickets allow so-called 'online direct transactions,' and there are no proper penalty regulations related to this, placing it in a practical blind spot for enforcement.

As of 8:30 a.m. on the 2nd, searching for 'Korean Series' on an online secondhand trading cafe yielded over 100 posts selling tickets. Most of these are scalped tickets resold at prices two to three times higher than the original ticket prices. Checking one post, 1st base seats were being sold at 100,000 KRW each (originally 45,000 KRW), and cheering section seats at 80,000 KRW each (originally 35,000 KRW), with transactions conducted through 'mobile ticket gifting.' For other inquiries, sellers requested using the 'chat' function.

Not only are scalped ticket prices expensive, but due to scalpers monopolizing tickets using macro programs, even when ticket purchase windows open, only less desirable seats such as outfield seats remain, rather than good seats like 1st or 3rd base where fans can see players up close.

Detection and punishment are also problematic. Offline scalping can be detected and controlled on-site, but online scalping, such as 'mobile ticket transactions,' involves direct online transactions between scalpers and buyers, making detection practically difficult.

There are also no proper penalties for online scalping activities. Offline scalping can be punished under Article 3 of the Minor Offenses Act, but there are no regulations for online transactions, making the legal basis for crackdowns ambiguous. Additionally, it is difficult to determine whether a ticket transaction is a transfer or a resale when scalpers trade tickets. Furthermore, the mild punishment level?fines, detention, or penalties under 200,000 KRW for scalping?is not much of a deterrent for scalpers.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.