SEOUL, Jan 17 — BTS won’t take the stage in Busan until June, but the city’s hotel scene is already behaving like the concert starts tomorrow — and every room comes with a free meet-and-greet.
According to a report in The Korea Times, accommodation prices across the south-eastern port city have surged to eye-watering levels ahead of the group’s long-awaited full-member comeback.
Some hotels have bumped rates by as much as 10 times, while others have been nudging existing guests to cancel so they can resell rooms at premium prices.
The frenzy isn’t entirely surprising. BTS will reunite as a full group for the first time since completing their mandatory military service, kicking off a globe-trotting tour that stretches across North America, Europe, South America and Asia, including Malaysia.
Busan is the only Korean stop outside Seoul — and with shows slated for June 12 and 13, it’s shaping up to be a double celebration: the group’s debut anniversary and a homecoming moment for Busan boys Jimin and Jung Kook.
That alone was enough to send ARMY, both local and international, into instant booking mode. Within hours of the schedule dropping, hotels in hotspots like Haeundae, Gwangalli and Gijang were wiped clean of availability.
What’s left? Prices that would make even seasoned concert-goers blink twice.
One five-star property, listed at around 330,000 won (RM1,000) last week, is now going for over 1 million won per night during the concert window. A mid-range hotel in Dongnae jumped from 68,000 won on June 10 to 769,000 won on June 12 and 13.
And budget stays are offering no relief. A Busanjin District motel that typically charges 60,000 to 90,000 won per night has crossed the 500,000-won mark, while some smaller hotels have posted single-night rates above 1.4 million won.
Fans have taken to online communities to share screenshots of operators citing “BTS concert demands” while prodding them to give up their bookings — a move that will sound familiar to those who braved Busan in 2022.
Back then, when BTS staged a free concert to support the city’s World Expo 2030 campaign, some hotels near the venue were lambasted for charging 20 to 30 times their usual rates. A two-night stay that normally cost 300,000 won soared as high as 7.5 million won.
It’s not just a BTS issue, either. Locals point out that similar dramas unfold every year during the Busan Fireworks Festival, when sudden cancellations and last-minute “extra payment requests” mysteriously appear like unwanted fireworks.
The government has tried stepping in. The Korea Times notes that President Lee Jae Myung previously ordered officials to craft measures against tourist price gouging, warning that such behaviour harms regional tourism and tarnishes the country’s image.
But under current laws, hotels are largely free to set their own rates — meaning enforcement is limited to cases where confirmed reservations are cancelled or guests are pressured to pay additional fees.
For now, the city says it will once again deploy officials and tourism staff to conduct on-the-ground guidance and gentle “moral suasion” campaigns in hopes of nudging operators toward more reasonable pricing.
Whether that will soothe ARMY nerves — or persuade price-surging hotels — remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: come June, Busan’s skyline won’t be the only thing glowing purple.
