BTS Busan Concert to Crack Down on 'Exorbitant Prices': "10% Reward for Reporting" [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.

Following the announcement of BTS's Busan concert, hotels and lodging facilities in the Busan area began charging exorbitant prices, prompting the government to step in.

On the 28th, the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced at a task force meeting on eliminating regional price gouging held at the Government Seoul Office that "over 1,300 alternative lodging facilities, including universities and public institutions in Suwon, have been secured to eliminate price gouging in the Busan area."

BTS will hold "BTS WORLD TOUR 'ARIRANG' IN BUSAN" at the Busan Asiad Main Stadium on June 12 and 13. This marks their return to the same stage for the first time in three years and eight months since the "Yet to Come" in BUSAN concert, held in October 2022 to pray for the success of the 2030 Busan World Expo. Additionally, this venue is where they performed their final full-group concert before enlistment. Notably, the second day, June 13, holds special significance as it coincides with BTS's debut anniversary.

First, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is reported to have requested cooperation from nearby lodging facilities to operate at fair prices through a recent industry roundtable. Separately, a joint special on-site inspection by relevant ministries will be conducted. The government plans to intensively inspect the operational status, hygiene conditions, and potential price collusion of lodging facilities near the concert venue through joint inspections involving the National Tax Service and the Fair Trade Commission on the 29th, June 8, and the 9th. If violations are discovered, the government will immediately initiate corrective orders and suspension of business as part of disciplinary procedures.

The Busan Metropolitan City Government is also working to eliminate price gouging. Until June 15, a special investigative operation will be conducted focusing on lodging facilities near Busan Station, Seomyeon, the concert venue, and tourist attractions. If unregistered lodging operations, violations of posting and compliance obligations for lodging fees, or breaches of hygiene standards are detected, strict measures including criminal prosecution and administrative penalties will be taken.

The consumer complaint reporting system will also be strengthened. Cases of damage, such as reservation cancellations, reported via the local area code 120 and the Tourism Inconvenience Reporting Center 1330 will be immediately shared with local governments like the Busan Metropolitan City Government for use in on-site inspections and forwarded to the National Tax Service to investigate potential tax evasion, establishing a collaborative framework.

To encourage reporting, the government is also pushing to revise relevant regulations to abolish the cap on reward payments for reporting and allow up to 10% of fines to be paid as rewards.

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*This content was translated by AI.