KTO and Busan City Launch Crackdown on “Hotel Price Gouging” Ahead of BTS Busan Concert

A spotlight on the global stage—and the task behind it

Busan’s long-awaited arrival of the global pop icon “BTS” is nearly here. Ahead of the world tour running from April 12 to 13, eyes from fans worldwide are turning to Busan. But behind the festival buzz lies a long-standing blight known as “price gouging”. In response, the Korea Tourism Organization said on the 1st that it is launching an all-out campaign to root out the origins of “unfair practices”.

A global mega event—and Busan’s stature that cannot be tarnished

This is not a mere warning. The crackdown is a strong preemptive response to protect the image of “Busan, a tourism city”, which could otherwise be damaged in front of a global event. The tourism organization, in solidarity with key entities including the Busan Metropolitan City and the Busan City Tourism Association, is moving to carry out a large-scale cleanup.

A laser focus on the field—three-dimensional strategies to raise tourism satisfaction

The edge of the joint enforcement team is aimed at major “lodging facilities” and tourist-heavy areas. While directly hitting the ground to strongly urge a reasonable fee system, it will also carry out service training aligned with global standards.

The absolute yardstick that separates national tourism competitiveness

Officials with the Korea Tourism Organization again emphasized the seriousness of the matter. A person familiar with the situation said, “‘BTS world tour’ is an irreplaceable global event that concentrates the world’s attention on Busan,” adding, “Transparent pricing rules and high-quality service are the most important factors that prove Busan’s ‘brand value’ and the Republic of Korea’s ‘tourism competitiveness’.”