South Korea weighs response to Mexico’s request for more BTS concerts

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum sent a diplomatic letter to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung requesting help arranging additional BTS concerts after over 1 million fans competed for just 150,000 tickets that sold out in 37 minutes.straitstimes
Mexico’s consumer watchdog launched legal proceedings against Ticketmaster over unclear pricing and is sanctioning resale platforms StubHub and Viagogo for “abusive and disloyal practices” related to the ticketing chaos.evrimagaci
K-pop industry insiders criticized the unusual request, with one agency official telling The Korea Herald ↘0.70% that Sheinbaum should have contacted BTS’s label Hybe rather than the South Korean president for what are private concerts.koreaherald

Sheinbaum Requests South Korea Help With More BTS Concerts

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has taken the unusual step of sending a diplomatic letter to South Korean President Lee Jae-myung requesting assistance in arranging additional BTS concerts in Mexico, after overwhelming demand saw over 1 million fans vying for just 150,000 available tickets that sold out in 37 minutes.

“Everyone wants to go,” Sheinbaum said at her daily press briefing on Monday, January 26. “Around 1 million young people want to buy tickets, but there are only 150,000 tickets available.”straitstimes

South Korea Analyzing Response

The South Korean government confirmed Tuesday that it received the letter from the Mexican president, though no official response has been issued. According to The Korea Herald, the South Korean presidential office declined to comment, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated it had “nothing to share” regarding the request.koreaherald

The appeal has sparked debate within the K-pop industry, with some questioning whether such a request crosses diplomatic boundaries. “She should have sent the request to Hybe, not the president,” an official at a major K-pop agency told The Korea Herald, speaking anonymously. “BTS is a global artist, and it’s understandable that she considered domestic fan demand. But these are not state-sponsored events.”koreaherald

Sheinbaum has suggested that if additional concerts cannot be arranged, large outdoor screens could be installed so fans without tickets could still experience the performances. “What matters is that young people in Mexico are given a chance to experience a group that is immensely popular here,” she said.kedglobal

Ticketmaster Faces Investigation

The ticketing chaos has prompted Mexico’s Federal Consumer Protection Agency (PROFECO) to launch legal proceedings against Ticketmaster for what it described as a lack of clarity in information provided to consumers during the sale.evrimagaci

PROFECO head Iván Escalante announced the agency is analyzing potential penalties that could reach over 4 million pesos (approximately $230,000), based on the thousands of complaints received from fans. The agency also said it would sanction resale platforms StubHub and Viagogo for “abusive and disloyal practices,” with tickets appearing on secondary markets at prices ranging from 11,300 to 92,100 pesos—far exceeding the original prices of 1,800 to 17,800 pesos.reuters

BTS Returns After Military Hiatus

The three concerts at Mexico City’s GNP Seguros Stadium on May 7, 9, and 10 are part of BTS’s Arirang World Tour, the group’s first performances since their 2021-22 Permission to Dance on Stage tour. The band had been on hiatus while its seven members completed South Korea’s mandatory military service.abcnews

The tour will span more than 70 dates across Asia, North and South America, Australia, and Europe through March 2027, supporting their upcoming album Arirang, scheduled for release on March 20.wikipedia