Selling Scalped Tickets for Concerts Now Punishable by Up to 50 Times the Price... National Assembly Committee Passes 'Anti-Scalping Act'

Park Jeongha, Chairperson of the Subcommittee on Sports and Tourism Legislation of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, is presenting a bill for discussion at the subcommittee meeting held on the 18th at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

The "Anti-Scalping Act," which imposes a penalty of up to 50 times the ticket price for illegal sales of tickets to concerts and sporting events, passed the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee on November 28.

On this day, the committee held a plenary session and approved 42 bills, including amendments to the Performing Arts Act and the National Sports Promotion Act. The amendments prohibit the illegal purchase and sale of tickets and introduce punitive penalties of up to 50 times the sale amount for illegal sellers.

The obligation to prevent illegal distribution also applies to sellers and online sales intermediaries. Profits gained from illegal sales may be confiscated or subject to restitution, and the amendments also include provisions for reward payments to whistleblowers and mitigation or exemption for voluntary self-reporting.

President Lee Jaemyung stated at a cabinet meeting on November 11 that “fines are more effective than criminal penalties” and instructed a review of the system. On the same day, the Democratic Party and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism held a party-government consultation and agreed to process the so-called "three anti-scalping laws"-the Performing Arts Act, the National Sports Promotion Act, and the Sports Facilities Installation Act-within the regular session of the National Assembly.

The committee also approved an amendment to the Copyright Act to strengthen measures against copyright infringement. Known as the "Noonoo TV Blocking Act," the amendment allows the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism to block access to websites distributing illegal copies of videos, movies, and webtoons, and introduces punitive damages of up to five times the amount for copyright infringement.

In the tourism sector, an amendment to the Tourism Promotion and Development Fund Act was passed, allowing payers to exercise the "right to claim a refund of the departure payment" if they cancel their overseas trip. In the national heritage sector, a bill was passed permitting the overseas transfer of modern and contemporary cultural heritage for research and investigation, and delegating some of the powers of the Administrator of the National Heritage Administration to affiliated agency heads.

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