The fight against ticket scalping in the K-pop industry has reached a major turning point. Several professional scalpers who illegally resold tickets for SEVENTEEN concerts have been sentenced to prison, while also being ordered to surrender more than 1 billion KRW (approximately $738,635 USD) in unlawful earnings.
On September 28, PLEDIS Entertainment confirmed that it has been actively cooperating with authorities to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals involved in the illegal resale of tickets for its artists’ events.
As a result of those efforts, some scalpers received prison sentences of one year and eight months, while others were sentenced to one year and four months behind bars. In addition to their jail terms, the court ordered the confiscation of all illicit profits, which together exceed 1 billion KRW.
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PLEDIS vows to continue its crackdown
According to the agency, the investigation is far from over. PLEDIS revealed that authorities are currently pursuing additional professional scalpers, including individuals operating outside of South Korea.
The company made it clear that it will maintain a strict stance against illegal ticket resale and will continue taking legal action without leniency against those who exploit fans through unauthorized ticket trading.
This is not the first major breakthrough in the agency’s campaign. Earlier this year, PLEDIS announced the arrest of a group of scalpers who allegedly used automated macro programs to obtain concert tickets and generate nearly 7 billion KRW (around $5.2 million USD) in illegal profits.
At the time, the agency assisted law enforcement by providing evidence related to fraudulent ticket transactions, helping authorities build their case against the suspects.
Protecting SEVENTEEN beyond ticket sales
PLEDIS is also reinforcing its broader efforts to protect SEVENTEEN and its artists from various forms of abuse and rights violations.
The company stated that it operates a real-time monitoring system designed to document harmful activities and identify infringements against its artists. In addition, PLEDIS reaffirmed its zero-tolerance policy regarding the spread of false information, malicious comments, insults targeting appearance or nationality, and other hateful or defamatory behaviour.
With these legal victories, PLEDIS is sending a strong message that both ticket scalping and online abuse will continue to face serious consequences, while ensuring a safer and fairer environment for SEVENTEEN and their global fanbase.
