Fans stream in ahead of BTS' concert at the Asiad Main Stadium in Busan, Oct. 15, 2022. Courtesy of Busan Metropolitan Police Agency
Religious groups, universities and public institutions are offering free or affordable accommodation options for BTS fans who have become targets of price gouging ahead of the supergroup's June concerts in Busan, but supply remains limited, leaving many to stick with their existing plans.
Busan is hosting the BTS' June 12 and 13 concerts as part of its "ARIRANG" world tour. As June 13 is also the group's 13th debut anniversary and the first in many years after their historic comeback as a group in March, the event is estimated to draw a substantial number of international and local fans to the city.
To cash in on the opportunity, accommodation businesses have set rates at an average of 7.5 times higher than the usual, according to the Korea Consumer Agency's data based on filed complaints. Some businesses have reportedly canceled existing reservations, citing "overbooking" or "renovations" to open the slots at much high rates. This led President Lee Jae Myung to speak out on the issue, Wednesday.
The situation has left many fans to resort to paying exorbitant rates or find options outside of Busan.
Eunice, a teacher traveling from the Philippines for the concert, booked a hotel in the adjacent city of Ulsan, northeast of Busan, after noting the Airbnb prices jumped tenfold for a particular place she wanted to book. She will spend the night in Ulsan before the June 13 concert, and then spend the rest of her four-day stay in Seoul.
"The prices are obscenely high and to be honest, the way Busan accommodations have been acting, makes me, as a fan, wish that my favorite group could just avoid the city next time, which is unfair because I'm sure Busan is a great place, and there's a lot of fun tourist attractions," the 28-year-old said.
"I wanted to explore the city, but I’m now forced to find accommodations elsewhere. Seoul had a free BTS concert and Airbnb prices stayed more or less the same (at least based on my research), so it's frustrating that it's not the case in Busan."
Verena Thiel, a German student based in Korea, paid around seven times the usual price for an Airbnb room in Busan, where she will stay on Thursday ahead of the June 12 concert she is attending.
Thiel paid 467,000 won for one night for a room that costs about 77,000 won at usual rates. Excluding motels, this was among the cheaper options left in Busan for people who were not willing to find accommodation outside of the city. Hotel rooms cost up to 1 million won, Thiel said.
Source: Korea Times News
