Room Prices Soar from 60,000 to 760,000 Won and Sudden Cancellations: "We Won't Even Buy Water in Busan" — BTS Fans Outraged

Average Accommodation Rates Rise 2.4 Times During Concert Week
Some Lodgings Show Price Increases of Up to 7.5 Times
Allegations of Canceled Reservations and Reselling at Higher Prices
Fans Push Back: "We'll Attend Without Staying Overnight

Controversy over excessive price hikes by some local lodging businesses has resurfaced ahead of BTS’s upcoming concert in Busan. In addition to a sharp spike in accommodation fees driven by the surge in demand for major events, there are claims that existing reservations were unilaterally canceled and resold at much higher prices, fueling 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, there have been a growing number of posts on social networking services such as X and online communities, reporting that accommodation prices during the BTS Busan concert period have soared compared to usual. One post shared an example where a room that could ordinarily be booked for around 60,000 won per night shot up to as much as 760,000 won during the concert, representing a more than 12-fold increase based on simple calculation.

An official investigation also confirmed the trend of rising accommodation fees. The Korea Fair Trade Commission and the Korea Consumer Agency previously conducted a survey of accommodation fees at 135 lodging facilities in the Busan area during the BTS concert period. They found that the average accommodation fee during the concert week increased to about 2.4 times compared to the weekends before and after. In particular, motels saw prices surge by 3.3 times and hotels by 2.9 times compared to normal periods. Some accommodations set prices more than five times higher than usual, and in specific cases, rooms that normally cost around 100,000 won rose to 750,000 won, while rooms that usually cost about 300,000 won increased to 1.8 million won.

Fans Push Back, Saying "We Won't Spend in Busan"

The main issue for fans is not just the price hikes themselves. Many report that after the concert dates were announced, their existing reservations were canceled. Some fans claim, “Rooms I reserved months ago were canceled due to overbooking or remodeling, but the same rooms were relisted at much higher prices afterward.”

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

After cases of international fans having their reservations canceled were reported, the controversy has spread beyond the domestic fandom to become an international image issue. The backlash is expanding into a “no overnight stay” movement. On social media and fan communities, posts such as, “I’ll take the KTX, watch the concert, and return immediately,” or “I’ll take a late-night chartered bus home,” are increasingly common. Some fans are going further, saying, “Not only will I not stay overnight in Busan, I’ll bring my own water and snacks,” and, “I’ll minimize my spending in Busan.” These developments have raised concerns that the price gouging by some in the lodging industry could spread into a broader consumer boycott against local businesses in the region.

This is not the first time that controversy has arisen over inflated accommodation prices related to BTS concerts in Busan. During the 2022 concert held to support Busan’s bid for the 2030 World Expo, some lodging establishments also faced severe criticism for raising room prices by dozens of times. At the time, the Busan city government organized a joint inspection team with local districts to prevent unfair business practices, but criticism remains that the issue of soaring accommodation fees recurs with every major event.

Busan City Crackdowns Fail to Contain Accommodation Prices

Prior to this concert, Busan City has launched joint inspections aimed at eliminating price gouging at lodging establishments. The inspections target unregistered lodging businesses, failure to display price lists, overcharging beyond posted prices, and failure to fulfill reservation conditions. The city is also considering providing affordable alternatives by utilizing public accommodations, such as youth hostels, youth training centers, and templestay facilities.

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

However, it is not easy for government agencies to uniformly regulate market prices, since accommodation fees are fundamentally determined by supply and demand. Nevertheless, unilaterally canceling existing reservations without a reasonable cause, demanding amounts different from the posted rates, or operating lodging businesses without registration may constitute consumer harm or be subject to administrative action.

The tourism industry worries that this controversy could negatively impact Busan’s city image and tourists’ willingness to revisit, going beyond a simple issue of lodging costs. With BTS concerts being global events that draw large numbers of fans from both Korea and abroad, short-term profiteering by a few businesses could lead to distrust of the entire local tourism sector.

Among fans, there is a growing call for effective institutional reforms, as the same problems recur every time a major concert is held. Attention is focused on whether crackdowns by Busan City and related authorities will actually lead to price stabilization and prevent reservation-related damages.

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