Chinese scalpers are illegally acquiring Korean user account information to purchase tickets for hard-to-book events and concerts in South Korea. (Image courtesy of Rep. Lee Hoon-gi)
SEOUL, Oct. 11 (Korea Bizwire) – Chinese scalpers are illegally acquiring Korean user account information to purchase tickets for hard-to-book events and concerts in South Korea, potentially reaping significant profits from reselling them on the black market, according to a South Korean lawmaker.
The allegations, raised during a parliamentary audit on October 10, has sparked criticism of both ticket-selling websites for security vulnerabilities and regulatory bodies for lax oversight.
Lee Hoon-gi, a member of the National Assembly’s Science, Technology, Information Broadcasting, and Communications Committee, said Chinese scalpers are buying Korean authentication accounts for 450 to 650 yuan on the black market. These accounts are then used to access South Korean ticketing websites from China, allowing the scalpers to purchase sought-after tickets.
“These accounts are likely being used to secure tickets for high-demand events,” Lee said, citing a recent concert by the popular singer Lim Young-woong that saw 500,000 concurrent users attempting to book tickets.
While domestic ticketing sites like Interpark Ticket separate payment processes for Korean nationals and foreigners to prevent fraudulent purchases, Lee argued that the identity verification procedures are not functioning properly, allowing individuals in China to register as if they were in Korea.
The lawmaker criticized the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) for failing to recognize the issue until his office requested related data in August. He also pointed out the ineffectiveness of KISA’s self-inspection checklist and guidelines for websites requiring identity verification, noting that only 21.8% of institutions responded to the agency’s initiative.
“Interpark Ticket reported no issues in their self-inspection, which turned out to be false,” Lee said. He emphasized the need for a system to enforce checklist inspections and compliance for over 23,000 institutions involved in identity verification processes.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
