Korean Government Gets Involved In BTS’s Concert

BTS’s upcoming Busan concert has prompted government intervention after lodging prices in the city reportedly skyrocketed ahead of the event.

BTS is scheduled to hold their world tour, “BTS WORLD TOUR ‘ARIRANG’ IN BUSAN,” in Busan on June 12 and 13, 2026. Since the concert overlaps with the group’s debut anniversary on June 13, a massive influx of both Korean and international fans is expected. Their agency and the city of Busan have also been preparing various connected events for the occasion. However, ahead of the highly anticipated concert, Busan is once again facing a lodging controversy.

Fans have voiced frustration over excessive price hikes by some lodging businesses, with reports showing that accommodation prices in the area have surged during the concert period. In May, the Fair Trade Commission and the Korea Consumer Agency investigated 135 lodging facilities in Busan and found that average lodging prices during BTS’s concert dates had risen to around 2.4 times those on weekends before and after the shows.

According to the investigation, motel prices rose to around 3.3 times their usual rates, while hotel prices increased by about 2.9 times. Some accommodations reportedly set prices more than five times higher than usual. In some cases, rooms normally priced in the ₩100,000 KRW (about $66.00 USD) range rose to ₩750,000 KRW (about $495 USD), while rooms in the ₩300,000 KRW (about $198 USD) range jumped as high as ₩1.80 million KRW (about $1,190 USD).

There have also been repeated claims from fans that existing reservations were canceled after the concert schedule was announced. Some alleged that accommodations canceled bookings under the guise of overbooking or remodeling, only to resell the same rooms at much higher prices.

This is not the first time BTS’s Busan concert has been connected to lodging issues. In 2022, when BTS held “Yet To Come in BUSAN” to support Busan’s bid for the 2030 World Expo, some lodging businesses were also criticized for canceling existing reservations and reselling rooms at prices more than 10 times higher.

The situation eventually prompted BTS themselves to speak up.

During a live broadcast held after the group won three awards at the American Music Awards on May 26, the members brought up their upcoming Busan concert and addressed the lodging controversy.

BTS Directly Calls Out Price Gouging Practices Related To Their Concert

Now, the government is taking action.

On June 1, South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and related government agencies reportedly formed a joint task force and began pushing for a “safe pricing system against price gouging.”

The core of the plan is a pre-reporting system for lodging prices. Under the system, lodging businesses would be required to report their prices in advance for peak seasons and major local events, with those prices then made public.

Authorities are also reportedly considering stronger penalties for businesses caught failing to display prices, falsely displaying prices, not following their reported prices, or unilaterally canceling reservations. Instead of simple warnings, penalties could include business suspension.

In addition, the government plans to prepare around 1,300 alternative lodging options by using university dormitories, public institution training centers, youth training facilities, and religious facilities.

Busan City is also preparing its own measures to ease the accommodation shortage during the concert period, including a citizen homestay project in which local residents can offer their homes directly to visitors.

With BTS’s Busan concert expected to bring in fans from around the world, the controversy has now grown beyond fandom complaints and become a matter of public response.

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