South Korean woman allegedly made US$319,000 scalping K-pop tickets. Now she faces prosecution
A South Korean woman is facing prosecution for using automated software to scalp over 2,600 K-pop concert tickets, including high-demand BTS shows. Authorities estimate she generated approximately US$319,000 in illegal proceeds before being caught.
Why it matters
The case underscores the growing problem of ticket scalping bots in the entertainment industry and the legal measures being taken to protect consumers.
She is accused of using bots to buy tickets to concerts, including BTS’ Gwanghwamun show in March.
Listen SEOUL – A woman in her 30s allegedly used a macro programme to automatically purchase about 2,600 tickets to K-pop concerts, including nine tickets to BTS’ highly sought-after Gwanghwamun performance earlier in 2026, South Korean police said on Aug 26.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said it had referred the woman to prosecutors without detention on charges of violating the Information and Communications Network Act, obstruction of business, and the Public Performance Act.
Police said the woman used the automated programme between April 2023 and March 2026 to purchase tickets to concerts by popular K-pop artists before reselling them at marked-up prices.
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