The Korea Herald

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[PyeongChang 2018] Reselling Olympic tickets at premium punishable by up to W5m fine

By Lim Jeong-yeo

Published : Jan. 25, 2018 - 13:32

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The resale of tickets for the PyeongChang Olympics at a premium is punishable by a fine of up to 5 million won ($4,700), according to article 92 of the Special Act on Support for the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Joongonara, Korea’s biggest e-market for secondhand goods, has cautioned its some 16 million users against trading Olympic tickets on its website, relaying the notice sent out by the PyeongChang Organizing Committee.

The notice makes it clear that trading the tickets through nonofficial channels go against the International Olympic Committee’s regulations, even if the person is selling them at their original prices. 


(Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald) (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)


For those who have purchased tickets but cannot make it to the games, the official and legal way to resell tickets is via the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics website’s service at http://tickets.pyeongchang2018.com/ReSale.

Among tickets listed on the resale website are those for the opening ceremony, which range between 220,000 won ($207) and 1.5 million won, depending on the location of the seat, and those for the closing ceremony, which cost between 220,000 won to 950,000 won.

Tickets for figure skating events -- one of the most popular winter sports in Korea -- range between 150,000 won and 600,000 won.

The cheapest tickets to the Olympics cost 20,000 won for the biathlon, cross-country skiing and skeleton events, and the preliminary round of the women’s ice hockey tournament.

Tickets can also be reserved offline at Seoul City Hall, Gangneung City Hall, Gangwon Province Office, Incheon and Gimpo airports and at 19 train stations via cash or Visa card.

By Lim Jeong-yeo (kaylalim@heraldcorp.com)