SEOUL, Jan 29 — As K-pop concert ticket prices in Korea climb past the ₩200,000 mark (about RM550), debate is intensifying over whether rising costs reflect economic reality or are increasingly pricing out young fans.

According to a report in The Korea Herald, music industry insiders said the hikes are largely unavoidable, pointing to higher production costs as concerts shift from standard performances to large-scale spectacles featuring massive LED screens, immersive sound systems and complex stage designs.

They added that global inflation has driven up expenses for transportation, logistics, equipment rentals and wages for specialised technical staff, while stadium and dome tours also require significantly more security personnel than conventional concert halls.

Recent sold-out concerts by BTS at Goyang Sports Complex have been cited by industry figures as an example of the shift, noting that the 50,000-capacity venue is roughly three times larger than typical K-pop arenas and carries heavier staffing, safety and logistical demands.

All seats for the group’s three April shows sold out almost instantly during fan club presales, with more than 100,000 fans entering the online queue within minutes.

Ticketing data showed that the highest-priced seats reached ₩264,000, marking a 20 per cent increase from the group’s 2022 tour and a 240 per cent rise compared with top-tier prices in 2018.

Some fans argue the prices remain reasonable compared with overseas markets, where premium tickets often cost several hundred dollars.

“In Korea, BTS concert ticket prices seem really cheap to me,” said New Jersey-based BTS fan Grace Kao, adding that she paid more than US$600 (RM2,358) for a presale ticket in the United States.

Critics, however, warned that prices at current levels risk excluding younger fans, with music critic Lim Hee-yun quoted as sayinh saying “a mid-200,000 won price point is relatively high when viewed from a student’s perspective.”