Busan City announced strict countermeasures after controversy spread over excessive accommodation prices ahead of BTS’s upcoming concerts, scheduled to take place on June 12 and 13.
On January 17, Busan City revealed that it has launched a QR-based reporting system that allows tourists to directly report unfair accommodation charges. Both domestic and international visitors can scan a QR code to submit complaints, which are then delivered through the Korea Tourism Organization to the relevant local governments and related authorities.
To ensure wide awareness, the city has distributed promotional stickers and posters to accommodation providers and posted an informational banner on its official website. In addition, Busan plans to form joint inspection teams with district and county offices starting next week. These teams will conduct on-site inspections of accommodations flagged through online reports, checking compliance with business regulations and providing guidance where necessary. If unfair practices such as excessive pricing or failure to honor reservation conditions are confirmed, the city stated that these violations will be reflected in hotel rating evaluations.
The measures come as hotel prices in Busan have surged sharply during the BTS concert period. Around Haeundae Station, nightly room rates reportedly jumped to between 600,000 KRW (approximately USD 460) and as high as 1.2 million KRW (approximately USD 920). On accommodation booking platforms, a deluxe double room at a luxury hotel in Busan was listed at 785,000 KRW (approximately USD 600) for the concert date. This is more than double the price from the previous week at 298,000 KRW (approximately USD 230) and significantly higher than the following week at 390,000 KRW (approximately USD 300). A well-known four-star chain hotel in Haeundae also raised its room rates from the usual 300,000 KRW range (approximately USD 230) to around 670,000 KRW (approximately USD 515) on the concert day.
Similar backlash occurred in 2022 during BTS’s free concert held in support of Busan’s World Expo bid, when some accommodations attempted to charge prices up to 30 times their normal rates.
As criticism grew, President Lee Jae-myung addressed the issue by sharing an article on X, formerly Twitter, which reported that hotel prices in Busan had surged by as much as tenfold following news of the BTS concert. He condemned the practice as malicious exploitation that disrupts market order and causes widespread harm, emphasizing that it must be eradicated. He added that penalties should ensure that businesses engaging in price gouging suffer losses far greater than any unfair gains.
Busan City also plans to convene a tourism readiness meeting with related agencies in the near future to discuss countermeasures against excessive accommodation price increases. Once the concert venue is finalized, the city said it will use social media and other platforms to promote accommodation areas with convenient access to the venue and public transportation, aiming to prevent concentrated booking demand.
Mayor Park Heong-joon stated that the city will actively operate the QR reporting system and conduct on-site inspections to prevent unfair accommodation practices and thoroughly assess tourism readiness. He added that Busan will mobilize all available administrative resources to support the successful hosting of the BTS concerts.
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