Ticket scalping surges ahead of Seoul fireworks festival amid legal loophole
Ticket scalping is once again rampant ahead of the Seoul International Fireworks Festival, with tickets being resold at steep markups just a week before the annual event at Yeouido Hangang Park. The government has moved to tighten laws against ticket scalping, but fireworks festivals fall outside the scope of existing regulations, leaving authorities with no legal grounds to crack down on resales…
Ticket scalping has once again become a major issue in the lead-up to the Seoul International Fireworks Festival, with tickets being resold at significantly inflated prices just a week prior to the event at Yeouido Hangang Park. Despite the government's efforts to tighten laws against ticket scalping, fireworks festivals are exempt from these regulations, leaving authorities without the legal means to intervene and thus allowing the problem to persist year after year.
The 22nd edition of the festival is set to take place on Saturday and is expected to draw approximately 1 million spectators annually. Organized by Hanwha, the event features designated viewing areas at Yeouido Hangang Park, accessible through a lottery system for those seeking a closer view of the fireworks. Ticket sales for these seats were introduced two years ago.
This year, Hanwha has introduced Nodeul Island, dubbed the Orange Play Zone, offering 700 paid seats ranging in price from 110,000 won ($79.70) to 220,000 won, depending on the specific viewing area. A substantial number of festival tickets have been listed for sale on secondhand trading platforms at prices far exceeding their face value.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
