S. Korea is ideal country for ticket scalping, says Record Label Industry Association of Korea

South Korean laws have limited scope in enforcing ticket scalping regulations, according to the Record Label Industry Association of Korea's Chairman Yoon Dong-hwan, who spoke in response to the association's recent report on ticket scalping laws in several foreign countries.

The report, published Tuesday, compares the ticket scalping policies and laws of seven countries -- Japan, China, Taiwan, the US, Canada, France and Belgium.

Ticket scalping in these countries is subject to fines of between $1,500 and $75,000, according to the report.

In the US, those who buy or resell tickets using macro programs that automatically complete the repetitive online ticketing process can face a fine of up to $1,500.

Japan prohibits the reselling of tickets at a price higher by law, and those who violate the law can face up to a year in prison or a fine of 1 million yen ($6,784).

Taiwan also regulates the reselling of tickets at a price higher than face value, with fines amounting to 10 to 50 times the original price of the ticket. Those who purchase tickets using macros can be sentenced to up to 3 years in prison or face a fine of up to 3 million Taiwan dollars ($96,230).

Canada allows the reselling of tickets at a price that is at most 50 percent higher than the original price. Any violation of the law can result in up to two years in prison or a fine of up to 50,000 Canadian dollars ($37,288).

In France, ticket scalping faces fines of up to 15,000 euros ($1,625), while in Belgium, that maximum fine is 60,000 euros.

“Countries have revised their ticket scalping-related laws after recognizing the seriousness of ticket scalping in 2018, when macros first appeared,” said Yoon Dong-hwan, chairman of the Record Label Industry Association of Korea.

“But South Korea has such powerful consumer protection laws that ticket purchases can be canceled without any penalty (to the buyer) within seven days of purchase. (The purchase) can even be canceled on the day of the event with a commission of up to only 30 percent incurred (by the buyer). It’s the perfect country for making money from scalping.”

Since March 2022, South Korea has started to enforce the Public Performance Act, which punishes those who buy tickets using macros with up to a year in prison or a fine of up to 10 million won ($7,500).

Industry insiders say, however, that the law will only have a restricted scope in prohibiting ticket scalping, as it only restricts the use of macros.