"Not Even Buying a Bottle of Water": BTS Fans Outraged Over Price-Gouging by Busan Accommodations

Average Lodging Rates Up 2.4 Times During Concert Week
Some Accommodations Show Up to 7.5-Fold Price Hikes
Suspicions Raised Over Cancellations and Pricey Resales
Fans Protest with "Day Trips and No Overnight Stays"

Controversy has reignited over excessive price hikes by some local accommodations ahead of the BTS concert in Busan. In addition to the surge in lodging fees exploiting the demand from the large-scale concert, there are also claims that existing reservations were unilaterally canceled and resold at much higher prices, fueling growing backlash among fans.

The group BTS held a free comeback performance, "BTS Comeback Live: Arirang" (BTSTHECOMEBACKLIVE｜ARIRANG), on the 21st at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul. The Asia Business Daily BTS is performing. 2026.03.21. Photo by Joint Press Corps

Recently, posts have been flooding social networking service X and online communities, reporting that lodging fees during the BTS concert period in Busan have risen drastically compared to usual. One post shared a case where a room that could normally be booked for around 60,000 won per night was listed at 760,000 won during the concert period. This represents a more than twelvefold increase.

Official investigations have also confirmed the upward trend in lodging fees. The Fair Trade Commission and the Korea Consumer Agency previously conducted a survey of 135 accommodation facilities in the Busan area regarding lodging rates during the BTS concert period. The results showed that the average lodging rate during the concert week rose to about 2.4 times higher than the weekends before and after. Notably, motel prices increased by around 3.3 times compared to normal, and hotels by about 2.9 times. Some accommodations set prices more than five times higher than usual, and in individual cases, rooms that normally cost around 100,000 won were raised to 750,000 won, and those typically priced at 300,000 won soared to 1.8 million won.

Fans React: "We Won't Spend Money in Busan"

The main issue for fans is not just the price increases. Many have reported that their existing reservations were canceled after the concert date was announced. Some fans claimed, "Rooms reserved months ago were canceled citing overbooking or remodeling, but then the same rooms were relisted at much higher prices."

The Korea Fair Trade Commission and the Korea Consumer Agency previously conducted a survey on accommodation prices during the BTS concert period at 135 lodging facilities in the Busan area. The survey found that the average accommodation price during the concert week increased to 2.4 times compared to weekends before and after the event. In particular, motels saw a rise of 3.3 times, and hotels increased by 2.9 times compared to regular periods. SNS

With reports of reservation cancellations even affecting overseas fans, the controversy has expanded beyond the domestic fandom and is now causing concerns over Busan’s international image. The backlash is growing into a "no overnight stay" movement. On social media and fan communities, posts such as "I’ll take the KTX for the concert and return right after," and "I'll go home on a chartered late-night bus," are becoming common. Some fans have gone so far as to say, "We won’t stay overnight in Busan," and even, "We’ll bring our own water and snacks in advance," and "We’ll minimize all spending in Busan." There are concerns that the lodging price-gouging controversy could spread into a broader boycott sentiment against the entire local business community.

This is not the first time there has been controversy over price gouging at accommodations related to a BTS concert in Busan. During the 2022 concert supporting the bid for the 2030 Busan World Expo, some lodging establishments raised room prices by dozens of times, drawing fierce criticism. At that time, Busan Metropolitan City formed joint inspection teams with district offices to prevent unfair business practices, but there are criticisms that the issue of skyrocketing accommodation prices recurs with every major event.

Even with Busan's Crackdowns, Lodging Prices Remain Unchecked

In preparation for this concert, Busan Metropolitan City has launched joint inspections to eradicate price-gouging at accommodations. The inspections target unregistered operations, failure to post price lists, charging above posted rates, and non-fulfillment of reservation conditions. The city is also considering utilizing public lodging options such as youth hostels, youth training centers, and templestays to provide affordable alternatives.

The controversy over inflated accommodation prices related to BTS concerts in Busan is not new. During the 2022 concert held to support Busan's bid for Expo 2030, some lodging establishments also faced severe criticism for raising room rates by dozens of times. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

However, it is not easy for administrative agencies to unilaterally limit market prices, as lodging rates are fundamentally determined by supply and demand. Nonetheless, practices such as unilaterally canceling existing reservations without reasonable cause, demanding prices different from those posted, or operating accommodations without registration may be subject to consumer protection measures or administrative penalties.

The tourism industry is concerned that this controversy could affect not only lodging prices but also Busan’s city image and visitors’ willingness to return. Since BTS concerts are global events that attract large numbers of both domestic and international fans, the short-term profiteering by some businesses could lead to a loss of trust in the entire local tourism sector.

Among fans, there is a growing outcry for effective institutional improvements, with many saying, "The same problem repeats every time there’s a big concert." Attention is now focused on whether crackdowns by Busan Metropolitan City and relevant authorities will lead to real price stabilization and prevention of reservation-related damages.

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