Reselling tickets bought through macro programs to be punished

Starting March 22, the use of macro programs or ticket bots to purchase and resell tickets for performances will be punishable.

On Monday, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that a partial amendment to the Public Performance Act will be enacted on March 22.

The ministry made the amendment in response to the increasing number of cases involving people using macro programs to purchase tickets for performances and subsequently reselling them at inflated prices, harming production agencies and consumers. The Punishment of Minor Offenses Act, enacted in 1973, only allowed for fines of 200,000 won or less for scalpers selling tickets on-site, which restricted the ability to crack down on and penalize online ticket scalping.

The revised Performance Act prohibits fraudulent sales through macro programs to purchase tickets for performances and resell them at a premium. Violators are now subject to imprisonment for up to one year or a fine of up to 10 million won.

The ministry launched a consolidated reporting website on March 2, ahead of the law's implementation. During peak performance seasons, the ministry will also operate a period to encourage reporting of scalpers' ticket sales. During this period, the ministry will offer rewards, such as gift vouchers, to individuals who report suspected cases of ticket scalping.


Jeong-Eun Kim kimje@donga.com