Korean authorities are moving to crack down on alleged hotel price gouging and reservation abuses after BTS members publicly criticized soaring accommodation costs ahead of the K-pop group's upcoming concerts in Busan.
The global K-pop superstars are set to hold "BTS WORLD TOUR 'ARIRANG' IN BUSAN" on June 12-13, coinciding with the group's debut anniversary on June 13. The concerts are expected to draw tens of thousands of domestic and international fans to the southeastern port city.
But excitement surrounding the event has been overshadowed by complaints about sharply rising accommodation costs.
According to a May survey conducted by the Korea Fair Trade Commission and the Korea Consumer Agency, average lodging prices at 135 accommodation facilities in Busan during the concert period were 2.4 times higher than on surrounding weekends.
Motel rates rose by an average of 3.3 times, while hotel prices increased by 2.9 times. Some properties reportedly charged more than five times their usual rates.
In extreme cases, rooms that normally cost around 100,000 won ($73) were listed for as much as 750,000 won, while accommodations typically priced at 300,000 won were reportedly offered for up to 1.8 million won.
BTS / Courtesy of American Music Awards
Fans also alleged that some reservations made before the concert announcement were later canceled.
Several fans claimed that accommodation providers cited reasons such as overbooking or renovations before relisting the same rooms at significantly higher prices.
The controversy is not new. Similar complaints emerged in 2022 ahead of BTS' free concert, "BTS 'Yet To Come' in BUSAN," held in support of the city's bid to host the World Expo 2030. At the time, some lodging businesses were accused of canceling reservations and reselling rooms at prices more than 10 times higher.
Source: Korea Times News
