The ticket for the Yonsei University festival is 400,000 won each, and let's meet in Sinchon on the 22nd to discuss the transaction.
On the morning of the 20th, a person sent such a personal note in the online community 'Everytime' used by college students. A reporter posing as a buyer asked, "How much can I buy a ticket for the Yonsei University festival 'Akaraka for All 2025' held on the 24th?" and received a response.
The regular price of the Yonsei University festival ticket is 17,000 won. More than 20 posts on online bulletin boards were stating that they would 'buy' and 'sell' tickets at a price exceeding 20 times that amount. After sending a note to the seller expressing interest in purchasing a ticket, several people quickly replied, saying they would sell it for 400,000 won. The ticket price, which had been around 300,000 won until the day before, surged to 400,000 won in just one day as the festival approached.
◇Demand for counterfeit tickets arises as popular singers take the stage and attendance is restricted
Counterfeit ticket transactions are also taking place at Korea University. In the 'Everytime' bulletin board used by Korea University students, tickets for the festival 'Ipsilenti' are being sold for more than five times the regular price (18,500 won), at 70,000 to 100,000 won.
The prevalence of counterfeit ticket transactions at university festivals seems to be primarily due to the presence of famous singers on stage. Last year's Yonsei University festival featured artists like DAY6, ILLIT, aespa, (G)I-DLE, Crush, and Taeyang (in alphabetical order). This year, it is said that singer IU is expected to participate, which has increased popularity.
In particular, analyses suggest that counterfeit ticket demand arises because both Yonsei University and Korea University limit the number of festival attendees. This year's Yonsei University festival distributed tickets through a lottery system, leading to demand from students who did not receive tickets wanting to purchase counterfeits to attend the festival.
◇Host's effort to prevent counterfeiting vs. counterfeit sellers' methods: a fight of spear and shield
University festival organizers are preparing measures to prevent counterfeit ticket transactions. However, those buying and selling counterfeit tickets are employing tactics to evade these measures. In a sense, it is a repetitive battle of spear and shield.
The cheerleading squad organizing the Yonsei University festival announced last month that "if fraudulent transactions are confirmed, the seller will be permanently excluded from all Akaraka ticketing in the future." They also stated that they will implement the 'secret agent system' again this year. This system allows students to report counterfeit ticket sellers to the cheerleading squad, and if the seller is confirmed to be a counterfeit, the reporter can purchase the corresponding ticket at the regular price.
Mobile verification of entry tickets has also been strengthened. The Yonsei University cheerleading squad will send tickets to the winners in mobile ticket format along with a QR code via KakaoTalk messenger. On the day of the festival, the cheerleading squad plans to confirm whether seat winners have arrived at the venue using the KakaoTalk QR code and their student ID.
However, methods that can undermine this ticket verification are being employed. A counterfeit ticket seller stated that they would meet directly on the 22nd, when the secret agent system operation ends, to hand over the counterfeit ticket, saying, "If you register my KakaoTalk account and mobile student ID on a spare phone, you can enter."
The situation is similar at Korea University. The cheerleading squad that organized the festival has assigned unique numbers to the tickets to invalidate them if counterfeit transactions are confirmed. Furthermore, they plan to deny entry if physical student IDs and identification are not presented at entry. However, there are posts on the Everytime bulletin board at Korea University's Anam Campus stating that they will lend ID and student ID when selling tickets.