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BTS Fans Speak Out Against Agency’s Ticket Distribution Process
IndustryMusic
June 25, 2019
Olivia Perreault 0
BTS fans had the opportunity to see the global phenomenon boyband while on their fifth global fan meeting tour “BTS 5TH MUSTER [MAGIC SHOP]” in Busan and Seoul, Korea. However, the organization of the event left fans frustrated.
The band’s agency, Big Hit, organized the fan meeting. Ahead of the event, the agency banned mass ticket resales and instead, implemented a lottery system. Through this new system, one ticket was allotted per person, and fans received their seats randomly after entering the lottery. During each meeting, 88,000 fans were chosen.
Big Hit explained on their website that the system was put in place to reduce ticket scalpers’ tactics, but fans ended up being hurt more.
“A considerable number of fans have recently occurred to have been affected by illegal trades like purchasing tickets in bulk by using macros and reselling them in high price,” a statement from the agency read in a FAQ on the USBTSARMY website. “To establish fair ticketing and viewing experience, Big Hit Entertainment and INTERPARK have set forth the Fanclub Raffle System for BTS Global Official Fanclub ARMY 5th Term members as a means to provide fairer participation and allow ticket purchase through random drawings.”
There were multiple problems with the agency’s strict identification control. Workers demanded certification for each guest, and those underage needed to bring documents in order to avoid possible forgery. However, this did not work well for underage fans who had received tickets from their parents. Although underage fans brought copies of their student IDs, copies were not allowed. Many missed out on the show simply because their parents bought tickets.
“I could not make it to the concert,” one fan told the Korea Times. “I was rejected because a double-coated student ID card is likely to be a forgery.”
This isn’t the first time fans have faced a problem with Big Hit; late last year during a BTS show in Ontario on the Love Yourself World Tour, many fans claimed they were harassed and discriminated against by security guards and blamed Big Hit. People shared stories of being inappropriately patted down and checked by security, while others claimed the memory cards of their cameras were confiscated.
BTS Fans Speak Out Against Agency’s Ticket Distribution Process