Big Hit Music Cracks Down on BTS Scalpers and Commenters
On September 29, 2026, Sports Chosun reported that Big Hit Music announced legal actions against ticket scalpers and malicious commenters. The agency stated it is tracking individuals posting defamatory content across domestic and overseas anonymous communities, with recent fines and summary judgments already imposed against violators.
Crackdown on Defamatory Content and Online Communities
Big Hit Music outlined a zero-tolerance policy toward harassment and the spread of misinformation regarding its artists. According to the agency’s statement released on September 20, defamatory posts, insults, and the systematic sharing of false rumors concerning albums, performances, and digital content violate artists’ rights and honor under the Criminal Act. Arrested suspects face prosecution without leniency.
The label emphasized that overseas anonymous communities do not offer immunity from criminal punishment. Legal penalties, including recent fines and summary judgments, have already been issued to individuals targeting artists with insulting or defamatory text online.
Arrest of Ticket Scalpers and Macro Program Usage
In the concert ticketing sector, Big Hit Music reported active cooperation with investigative authorities to dismantle operations that disrupt market order. A primary example involves a suspect identified as Mr. A, a man in his 30s who was arrested and referred for prosecution by the Cybercrime Investigation Team 2 of the Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police Agency.
Mr. A allegedly used macro programs to bulk-purchase BTS concert tickets between September 2018 and April of this year. Purchasing tickets valued at approximately 110,000 Korean won each, the suspect resold them for up to 3 million Korean won. In total, 8,967 passes were handled through this scheme, bringing in about 2.4 billion Korean won in revenue and yielding roughly 1.6 billion Korean won in net earnings.
Big Hit Music submitted a petition for severe punishment early in the investigation. Law enforcement authorities apprehended and prosecuted an individual who resold admission passes at dozens of times their face value, accumulating revenue exceeding 2 billion Korean won while facing accusations of breaking the Public Performance Act and interfering with business operations.
Recent Global Accolades for BTS
These legal developments arrive alongside major international recognition for the group. BTS won the ‘Song of the Year’ top prize at the U.S. MTV Video Music Awards for ‘Swim,’ the title track from their fifth studio album, ‘Arirang.’ The group also secured victories in all three categories for which they were nominated, including ‘Best K-Pop’ and ‘Best Group.’
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