A series of legal revisions aimed at banning ticket scalping and the illegal distribution of Korean content passed the National Assembly, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said on Thursday, as resales for boy band BTS's concert tickets were priced as high as 15 million won ($11,300).

The revisions to the Copyright Act, the Public Performance Act and the National Sports Promotion Act were approved during a plenary session on Thursday.


Previously, those who used automated software to purchase tickets were subject to penalties, but these cases were difficult to detect. Under the revised Public Performance Act and National Sports Promotion Act, all methods of scalping tickets will be banned.

Violators will be fined up to 50 times the original ticket price, and any unfair profits earned through resales will be confiscated.

The ministry added that it plans to form an agency charged with reporting such illegal activity. Previously, the Korea Creative Content Agency and the Korea Professional Sports Association handled ticket scalping reports, but the system proved ineffective due to a lack of funding and personnel. The new agency will have the authority to request data from online retail platforms and individual ticket sellers to investigate any suspicious transactions. People who report violations will be rewarded.

Under the amended Copyright Act, the culture minister will be able to order internet service providers to block access to websites that are clearly distributing copyright-infringing content. Websites with overseas servers are particularly notorious for illegally distributing Korean content. The ministry will also introduce a punitive damages system, through which violators may face fines that cost up to five times that of actual damages. Previously, only the equivalent amount of the damage was claimed.

“The latest amendment is the result of six months of effort to address the [scalping] issue after listening to on-the-ground concerns,” said Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young in a statement on Thursday.

“I expect these revisions to significantly address [...] illegal content sales and ticket scalping, which have hindered the sustainable growth of K-culture, and help foster a healthier ecosystem.”

Chae previously identified the two issues as the culture industry's most persistent and damaging problems.

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]