Asia News: China Hacking Accusation; Coldplay Sweeps; World Expo Construction Lags

Korean Lawmaker Accuses China Of Hacking, Scalping

Lee Hoon-gi, the South Korean lawmaker who launched a crusade to stamp out ticket scalping in his country, alleges Chinese operatives have illegally acquired Korean user account information to “purchase tickets for hard-to-book events and concerts in South Korea” and then profited mightily from their resale on the black market, according to the Korea Bizwire website.

Lee raised these allegations during a parliamentary audit on Oct. 10, provoking criticism of ticket sale websites and regulatory agencies for being unable to keep such information secure. The politician said that Chinese scalpers buy Korean authentication accounts for hefty sums on the black market, and then use them to access ticketing websites in Korea from China.

“These accounts are likely being used to secure tickets for high-demand events,” he said, using as an example a recent show by singer Lim Young-woong where 500,000 users attempted to reserve tickets at the same time.

Lee pointed out that some domestic ticketing sites distinguish between Korean nationals and foreign buyers at the payment stage in order to prevent fraudulent purchases, but the identification method used to verify identities does not always function properly, thus allowing these Chinese operatives to register as Koreans.

Specifically, Lee pointed to the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) for “failing to recognize the issue until his office requested related data in August,” reported Korea Bizwire.

He said that only 21.8% of institutions responded to KISA’s self-inspection checklist and guidelines for websites that require identity verification.

Lee singled out one website, Interpark Ticket, as reporting “no issues in their self-inspection,” a claim that turned out to be false, and is now pushing for a new system that would enforce such inspections compliance for identity verification, a system that would affect 23,000 institutions.

The ministry promised to punish “business insiders” who often are involved in scalping, such as people working for sponsors, ticket platforms and travel agencies.

Last summer, police in Beijing detained almost 180 individuals for scalping. Though relevant authorities have already implemented verification rules for ticket purchases and some ticket agents have incorporated blockchain technology to thwart scalping, the police have pledged to a year-long campaign to eliminate scalping once and for all.

One university in China has estimated that the country’s live entertainment market will rake in $3.7 billion this year. Another agency projected revenues to reach $10 billion annually by 2027.

Coldplay Cleans Up

Coldplay continues to steamroll through Asia months before they are set to come to the continent for concerts.

After selling out series of concerts in record time in India and South Korea, the band’s shows slated for April in Hong Kong sold out in less than 90 minutes on October 10, reports the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

The majority of persons who attempted to secure tickets were left empty-handed or without the full number of seats desired, and that included the highest priced seats at HK$6,599 ($858), which includes an exclusive backstage tour, photo from the stage, dedicated ushers and souvenirs. However, these perks do not include any contact with band members. 

Users had 10 minutes after they logged on to the site to purchase tickets, after which they were automatically removed. An SCMP reporter said that they were only able to “enter the site one time” despite repeated attempts.

Previously, fans who had signed up on the band’s website were eligible to join the presale, which were gone in seconds. In addition, tickets bundled in with tour packages sold out in minutes.

Scalpers have, of course, already gotten involved, offering secondhand tickets for three times the face value the day after the legitimate sale took place. One resale platform told the newspaper that it was endeavoring to “take down such listings.” 

So far, Coldplay will be doing three shows in Hong Kong on April 9, 11-12 at the Kai Tak Sports Park main stadium, which will open in March. The stadium capacity is 65,000.

JAPAN

World Expo Construction Lags

The 2025 World Expo in Osaka, Japan, will open in exactly six months on April 13, 2025, and run until the following Oct. 13. The Mainichi Shimbun newspaper is reporting that “concerns” persist regarding the schedule for construction, which has been plagued by delays.

The organizers have said that it needs 28.2 million visitors to cover construction and operating costs, but at the moment construction of “many of the pavilions” has fallen behind and there is a real worry that some will not be completed by opening day.

In additon, a plan to use flying taxis, which would have been a potent attraction, has been scrapped after the four prospective operators withdrew due to “safety challenges.”

More than 7 million tickets had been sold as of Oct. 6, or about half those the organizers had hoped to sell by that date. Separate bookings are required for certain pavilions and events. 

Construction costs have almost doubled since the original plan for the Expo was submitted, while the operating costs have risen by 40%.

Forty-seven countries are building their own pavilions, and the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition has requested that any construction requiring heavy machinery be completed by the middle of October so that work on other facilities won’t be affected. However, exterior work on only one pavilion has been finished so far.