31 Suspected of Illegally Selling ‘Fall Baseball’ Tickets at Inflated Prices and in Bulk Referred for Investigation

[Financial News] The police have been asked to investigate 31 people suspected of illegally selling pro baseball postseason tickets at inflated prices and in large quantities. Their sale posts listed 1,015 tickets at a combined asking price of about 728 million won.
According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on the 20th, the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation analyzed reports received from the 13th to the 19th, selected suspected sellers whose posts listed a total of at least 10 million won in asking prices, and referred them to police for investigation that day.
The total was not the amount actually paid in completed transactions, but the sum of the asking prices listed in the posts. One person was estimated to have put up as many as 116 tickets for sale. The total amount listed in the posts was as much as 116 million won per person.
Taking into account how postseason ticket trading is concentrated in a short period, the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation worked with the National Police Agency to reduce the time between analyzing reports and referring cases for investigation. The aim is to prevent further illegal sales by referring major suspicious cases for investigation while the season is underway.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is carrying out online reporting and monitoring by the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation alongside efforts to limit the visibility of posts suspected of illegal resale on secondhand trading platforms. The limit on visibility restrictions has been increased from once to twice a day, and on-site crackdowns around stadiums are also underway with the police, the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) and clubs.
The Korea Sports Promotion Foundation will promptly provide additional materials to police and continue referring major suspects for investigation until the postseason ends. The ministry plans to take follow-up measures, including imposing surcharges, if investigations confirm illegal sales.
The revised National Sports Promotion Act, which took effect on August 28, prohibits selling or brokering tickets above their purchase price, habitually or as a business, without the original seller’s consent, regardless of whether macros are used. Illegal sellers may be subject to surcharges of up to 50 times the sale price.
Suspected ticket-scalping cases can be reported through the integrated reporting website for scalping at performances and sporting events.
Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Choi Hwi-young stressed, “If illegal acts are confirmed, we will take strict action in accordance with the law and protect fans’ fair opportunity to attend through continued crackdowns and coordination with investigations.”
[email protected] Jang In-seo Reporter