The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on October 13 that government agencies, police, and baseball officials will launch a concentrated enforcement campaign against ticket scalping around stadiums during the Korea Baseball Organization postseason. The crackdown begins alongside the opening of the playoff games, targeting illegal resales and inflated pricing outside venue gates.
Coordinated Enforcement at Postseason Venues
To combat unauthorized resales during peak entry times, teams of inspectors from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the National Police Agency, the Korea Baseball Organization, professional baseball clubs, and the National Sports Promotion Corp will monitor areas surrounding the ballparks. Officials will specifically target individuals scouting buyers or selling blocks of tickets near ticket booths, main entrances, and adjacent gathering points where scalping thrives.
Under the operational guidelines, inspectors who encounter individuals caught offloading large volumes of tickets or engaging in suspicious transactions will immediately hand the suspects over to police officers on site. Authorities will also collect transaction evidence to support ongoing investigations. The ministry noted that enforcement outcomes and case studies from individual games will dictate adjustments to patrols and tactics for subsequent matches in the series.
Public Reporting Mechanisms and Digital Outreach
Alongside physical patrols, organizers will set up dedicated anti-scalping promotional booths outside venues to instruct attendees on how to report illicit sales and explain the legal penalties for offenders. Stadium electronic display boards, alongside official social media accounts run by the Korea Baseball Organization and individual clubs, will broadcast anti-scalping warnings and instructions.
Fans can submit suspected scalping activities through the Integrated Sports and Performance Ticket Scalping Reporting Website. The initiative combines on-site guides with digital campaigns so attendees encounter reporting details as they arrive at the ballpark. These measures follow the August 28 implementation of the revised National Sports Promotion Act, which formally designated the National Sports Promotion Corp as an official sports ticket scalping reporting agency.
Investigation Figures and Ministerial Warning
Government figures show that the sports sector received 90,000 reports of illegal ticket sales up to October 7. After removing duplicate entries, authorities processed roughly 47,000 reports, resulting in display restrictions placed on approximately 40,000 suspicious posts online. Additionally, law enforcement agencies received requests to investigate 121 individuals suspected of high-volume or inflated pricing violations on October 6.
Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Choi Hwiyeong emphasized that fans waiting all year for autumn baseball should not lose their access to ticket scalpers seeking unfair profits. In a statement released by the ministry, Choi said that to ensure fans can purchase tickets fairly and enjoy the games, the government will cooperate with police, the league, clubs, and the sports promotion agency to crack down on scalpers both online and offline while urging supporters to submit reports when they spot suspicious activity.
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