President Lee: "Scalping tickets and still making a profit if caught? ... Don't even dream of it"

Crackdown on New Tactics; Strong Warning Against Ticket Scalping: "Your Losses Will Be Far Greater"
Fines of up to 50 times the sale price; illicit gains subject to confiscation
157 arrested in just over a month after law took effect
Intensive cr

President Lee Jae Myung issued a stern warning against ticket scalping on the 15th, saying, "Give up the idea that scalping is still profitable even if you get caught." He reaffirmed his determination to stamp out illegal transactions by imposing financial penalties far exceeding the illicit profits from ticket sales. He also said the government would thoroughly investigate new methods used to evade enforcement and develop additional measures.

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a meeting with senior secretaries and aides at the Blue House on Oct. 15, 2026. Yonhap News

On X (formerly Twitter) that day, President Lee shared an article about scalping in professional baseball and wrote, "Scalping is still profitable even if you get caught? Give up that idea now. Your losses will be far greater."

He added, "We will thoroughly investigate new methods used to evade enforcement and swiftly strengthen our measures," stressing, "Do not even think about scalping tickets anymore."

The government strengthened penalties for ticket scalping when amendments to the Public Performance Act and the National Sports Promotion Act took effect on Aug. 28. Previously, regulations mainly targeted fraudulent sales involving macro programs. The amended laws prohibit fraudulent purchases made for resale and habitual or commercial fraudulent sales, regardless of whether macro programs are used.

If fraudulent sales are detected, a surcharge of up to 50 times the sale price may be imposed. Illicit profits may also be confiscated or recovered. Fraudulent purchases or sales are punishable by up to one year in prison or a fine of up to 10 million won.

Enforcement has also been stepped up. According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, 68,158 reports related to ticket scalping had been filed between the law's implementation and Oct. 1. The government referred 170 people to the police for investigation over suspected illegal transactions, including high-priced and bulk sales. In a major police crackdown, 157 scalpers were arrested.

The problem is that a growing number of people are using new types of transactions to evade enforcement. Recently, a method known as "bundling" has emerged, in which sellers offer admission tickets as a free gift when selling photos of baseball players. The government has determined that such transactions also constitute ticket scalping and has begun taking action. It is also considering additional measures to address transactions conducted through overseas platforms.

With the professional baseball postseason having opened on Oct. 14, the government has launched a targeted crackdown in coordination with the National Police Agency, focusing on areas around stadiums and online transactions. The plan is to conduct focused inspections at ticket booths, main entrances and other places where scalping is common, and to detect illegal sales.

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