Barely 10 seconds after pressing the "Buy Tickets" button, fans are met with a blunt message: "No seats available." Even reaching the ticketing page can feel meaningless, because by then, most seats are often already gone. The frustrating experience K-pop fans repeatedly face reflects a growing reality of concert ticketing: getting a seat is no longer simply a matter of luck. Fans are not just competing against one another’s quick hands. Increasingly, they are up against automated macro programs that dominate the process. A recent crackdown by the Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police on an organized scalping ring that used macro systems has cast fresh light on rampant scalping in K-pop concert ticketing. Police said the group made 7.1 billion won ($4.7 million) by hoarding tickets with macro programs and reselling them. Fans, however, say cracking down on domestic scalpers alone is not enough. Attention is increasingly turning to overseas operators — particularly organized scalpers in China — accused of distorting the normal ticketing process by entering queues before sales open or us

BTS has demonstrated enduring market power following its full-group comeback, raising expectations for a revival in the K-pop album market. The septet’s fifth LP, “Arirang,” which released Friday, has contributed to reaffirming BTS’ dominance. The album surpassed 4 million sales within just three days of its release, debuting at No. 1 on the Hanteo weekly album chart. In doing so, BTS quickly surpassed its own first-week sales record of 3.37 million copies for 2020 album “Map of the Soul: 7,” hi

About 18 million people around the world tuned in to watch BTS’s comeback concert on Netflix, the global streamer said. The Saturday night livestream drew 18.4 million viewers worldwide within its first day of release. Since its release, the broadcast has landed in the weekly Top 10 rankings across 80 countries and reached No. 1 in 24 territories. The event, held in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, was broadcast globally in real time. Netflix revealed the livestream was supported by the company’s streaming i

BTS member Jin’s absence from the credits of the group’s latest album has sparked a debate among fans after what has been seen as a tense moment during a live broadcast went viral. BTS held a full-group livestream on Friday to celebrate the release of their fifth full-length album, "ARIRANG," where members discussed the production process and revealed some behind-the-scenes stories. During the broadcast, RM said, "Everyone’s color is in the album," before adding, "If Jin's tour had ended a bit earlier, he would have been able to join us." V also said, "There was time we could have worked together, but his condition wasn’t good. He kept touring." RM added, "He worked really hard. It was a shame," while Jimin said, "Thanks to him protecting the team, we were able to release the album," adding a note of appreciation. Jin himself said, "I’m happy there are so many great songs." However, the explanation did little to calm fans. Jin, who was the first BTS member to complete his mandatory military service, had been on a solo tour at the time BTS held a group songwriting camp in the Unit

SEOUL, March 25 (Yonhap) -- Park Ji-hoon, the co-star of the Korean film sensati...

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