Korea Ticket Scalping Law 2026: Up to 50x Fines - How Did a 198,000 Won Ticket Resell for 9,700,000 Won?

In August 2025, a ticket resale platform listed a VIP seat for an NCT WISH concert — face value 198,000 won — for sale at 9,700,000 won. A foreign fan desperate to see the show might well have paid it. But starting August 28, 2026, reselling tickets this way has become far riskier: South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism put new anti-scalping rules into effect.

At a glance: Effective August 28, 2026 (revised enforcement decrees of the Performing Arts Act and the National Sports Promotion Act). Illegal resale ("부정판매," reselling above face value) now draws a penalty surcharge of 2 to 50 times the resale amount. Reporting illegal resale can earn up to 50% of the surcharge imposed; reporting illegal bulk-buying ("부정구매") can earn up to 50,000,000 won. Responsible office: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's Performing Arts Division (+82-44-203-2732). Source: Ministry press release, August 28, 2026.

Until now, Korea's crackdown on "암표" (ticket scalping — reselling tickets above face value) mainly targeted bulk purchases made with automated "macro" bot programs, which made it hard to punish an individual reselling just one or two overpriced tickets. The new decree classifies any habitual or commercial resale above the original purchase price as illegal, regardless of whether a bot was used, and requires ticket platforms themselves to verify buyers' identities and operate reporting tools.

What this means for a foreign tourist is simple: if you find a ticket being sold far above face value outside official channels, that transaction itself likely carries legal risk in Korea. Buying through an official outlet — Interpark, Ticketlink, Yes24, or the venue's own box office — avoids that risk entirely, and if you spot a suspicious resale listing, reporting it through Korea's integrated ticket-scalping report portal can even earn you a reward.