Korea Railroad Strengthens Crackdown on Illegal Chuseok Train Ticket Transactions Including Scalping and Macros

Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL) is strengthening crackdowns on illegal transactions of train tickets during the Chuseok holiday.

On the 20th, KORAIL announced that it will focus on cracking down on illegal transactions such as ticket scalping and unfair reservation (using macros) that are rampant during the holiday period.

Ticket scalping refers to reselling train tickets purchased by oneself at a higher price, which violates the Railroad Business Act. In particular, those who habitually or commercially sell scalped tickets may be fined up to 5 million KRW.

To prevent ticket scalping, KORAIL established a ‘Scalping Report Board’ on its website starting from the 12th and has received a total of 25 suspected scalping cases.

KORAIL plans to request the deletion of posts suspected of scalping on the sites where they were reported, continuously monitor scalping posts on major online secondhand trading platforms, and report them as illegal or harmful information.

Additionally, KORAIL has opened a KakaoTalk open chat room to investigate cases suspected of commercial sales, such as adding a premium to holiday tickets, by requesting an investigation by the Railroad Police under suspicion of violating the Railroad Business Act.

Strict measures will also be taken against suspected cases of unfairly reserving a large number of tickets using macro programs during the holiday period.

Through reservation data analysis, KORAIL identified and forcibly expelled four members who used macros during the last Lunar New Year holiday. This Chuseok, if suspicious cases arise, KORAIL plans to request an investigation by the National Police Agency for obstruction of business.

Strong action will also be taken against users who habitually and maliciously misuse commuter passes or refuse to pay additional fares.

Previously, KORAIL imposed an additional fare of 16.38 million KRW, equivalent to 30 times the regular fare, on Mr. A, who was caught repeatedly riding without a valid ticket by manipulating the commuter pass usage period. In August, KORAIL filed a lawsuit against Mr. B, who refused to pay additional fares for misuse of a commuter pass, and won a court ruling, setting a precedent.

A KORAIL official said, “Ticket scalping and illegal use of tickets are clear illegal acts that disrupt distribution order. KORAIL will strengthen crackdowns on illegal ticket transactions to establish a proper train usage culture and will strictly respond according to laws and principles when illegal acts are detected.”

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