"We will eradicate scalping at all fall baseball games": KBO, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and police join forces to strengthen on-site enforcement

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The government, police, and the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) have joined hands to root out scalping in fall baseball ticket transactions.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister Choi Hui-young) announced on the 13th that, in preparation for the professional baseball postseason beginning on the 14th, it will cooperate with the National Police Agency (Acting Chief Kim Jong-cheol), the KBO (Commissioner Heo Gu-yeon), the teams, and the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation (Lee (President) Ha Hyeong-joo) to enforce anti-scalping measures at the venues and surrounding areas of all fall baseball games. This measure aims to suppress illegal sales during the fall baseball period, when demand for tickets is concentrated, and to guarantee fair viewing opportunities for baseball fans.

On-site enforcement will be conducted at the relevant stadiums and surrounding areas on all fall baseball game days. Enforcement hours, zones, and personnel will be operated according to on-site conditions in line with the game schedule. In particular, during peak times before games when spectators gather, authorities will check for suspected illegal sales activities, such as soliciting buyers around the stadium or selling large quantities of tickets. They will also intensively inspect areas where scalping is a concern, including ticket booths, main entrances, and nearby gathering spots.

For this on-site enforcement, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the National Police Agency and responsible police stations, the sports foundation, and the KBO have established a communication system to swiftly share information on suspicious transactions and reports. If cases suspected of scalping, such as bulk sales, are discovered on-site, they will be immediately reported to the police, and support will be provided for securing materials necessary to verify transaction circumstances. Enforcement and reporting results for each game, along with major cases, will also be shared and reflected in the enforcement zones and response methods for subsequent games.

In addition, on days when major games are held, anti-scalping promotion booths will be operated outside the stadiums. At these booths, spectators will be informed about how to report scalping and the criteria for sanctions, and reports received on-site will be passed to relevant institutional investors to link with enforcement efforts. Anti-scalping promotional content will also be broadcast through stadium scoreboards and the KBO’s and teams’ social networking services (SNS), encouraging participation in reporting. The plan is to promote both on-site guidance and online promotion so that spectators can easily access information on reporting methods and sanction criteria while heading to the stadiums.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has been operating an anti-scalping response system based on public reports and online monitoring since designating the sports foundation as the institutional investor for reporting sports scalping, alongside the implementation of the revised "National Sports Promotion Act" on August 28. As of the 7th, a total of 90,000 reports of illegal sales in the sports sector have been received. Among the approximately 47,000 cases after excluding duplicates, exposure was restricted for about 40,000 suspicious posts. For 121 individuals suspected of illegal transactions, such as high-priced or bulk sales, a request for investigation was submitted to the police on the 6th. During this postseason, anti-scalping measures will be strengthened by enforcing not only online but also on-site.

Suspected scalping cases can be reported through the "Integrated Reporting Website for Sports and Performance Scalping." Public reports are an important foundation for identifying suspicious transactions and responding to illegal sales, and reporting rewards will be paid in accordance with the requirements and procedures set forth in relevant laws and regulations.

Choi Hui-young, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, "The viewing opportunities of fans who have been waiting for fall baseball must not return as unfair profits to scalpers. We will work closely with the police, KBO, teams, and the sports foundation to respond strictly to scalping transactions from online to on-site at stadiums and strive for follow-up measures so that fans can purchase tickets fairly and enjoy the games." She also urged, "We ask sports fans to actively report suspected scalping cases."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original