Seoul city authorities have uncovered multiple accommodation businesses operating illegally ahead of BTS's Gwanghwamun comeback concert scheduled for June 21, with violations including failure to display rate cards and business registration certificates. The city announced it will take strong action against the violators, including criminal prosecution and administrative penalties.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government's Special Judicial Police Bureau announced on June 8 that inspections of 83 accommodation facilities in Jongno-gu and Jung-gu districts from May 25 to June 4 found 18 establishments in violation of relevant regulations. The main violations involved failure to display room rate cards and business registration certificates as required under the Public Health Control Act, with some businesses also found to be charging prices different from their posted rates.
The city has been implementing measures to stabilize accommodation rates since January, when BTS's concert near Gyeongbokgung Palace and Gwanghwamun was approved. After honorary public health inspectors monitoring 569 establishments last month identified numerous businesses failing to display required information, authorities launched intensive inspections.
The violations uncovered by Seoul city authorities varied widely. One unmanned establishment was caught operating without displaying any rate card or business registration certificate. Another business was found to have never posted a rate card since opening. In one case, multiple businesses sharing a common lobby but registered separately by floor were each operating without displaying their own rate cards. Authorities also discovered an individual operating three accommodation businesses at different addresses simultaneously, none of which had rate cards displayed at their reception desks.
The violators will be sequentially referred for criminal investigation. If violations are confirmed, offenders face up to six months in prison or fines of up to 5 million won. The city also plans to request Jongno-gu and Jung-gu district offices to initiate administrative procedures ranging from initial improvement orders to business suspension and closure.
Seoul city is accepting citizen reports through the "Seoul Response Center" until the concert date. Authorities will focus on illegal accommodation operations in officetels, failure to display rate cards, and non-compliance with posted rates. Citizens who submit reports with significant evidence may receive rewards of up to 200 million won following review.
"We will strengthen crackdowns and investigations on illegal accommodations until the concert day to ensure foreign tourists visiting Seoul to see BTS do not experience any inconvenience," said Byun Kyung-ok, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Special Judicial Police Bureau.
