BTS concerts spur South Korea hotel price-gouging crackdown
Following reports of Busan hotels charging up to 20x their usual rates, officials are proposing tougher penalties to help protect tourists
News By Hanna Ellington | 9 June 2026
South Korean officials are moving to introduce stricter penalties for hotel price gouging after a surge in complaints ahead of BTS’s upcoming concerts in Busan, where some hotel room rates reportedly spiked by as much as 20 times their normal level.
Last week, national authorities announced a series of new measures and a joint task force, referred to as the ‘Anti-Gouging Price Assurance System’, to strengthen consumer protection for travellers and help maintain the market as a tourist destination.
At…
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