A major ticket scalping operation tied to G-Dragon’s recent “Übermensch” world tour stop in Taiwan has been uncovered by authorities. On July 22, Taiwan’s Criminal Police Department confirmed the arrest of four individuals, including a man identified as Mr. Liu, for illegally reselling concert tickets at inflated prices.
The group targeted G-Dragon’s three-day performance at Taipei Arena from July 11 to 13. Working with a Hong Kong-based ticketing technician, they used hacking tools and ID generators to secure thousands of tickets.
Authorities reported that the scalpers had managed to obtain reservation numbers for roughly 3,000 tickets, about 1,500 of which were for G-Dragon’s concert.
Searches of their hideout on July 15 led to the discovery of over 2,500 concert ticket reservation numbers and 500 tickets for BLACKPINK’s October concert in Kaohsiung, along with $164,000 in cash.
Authorities also seized evidence that the group created fake IDs for buyers to pass Taiwan’s real-name entry system.
Liu’s team reportedly paid 2,000 to 3,000 New Taiwan dollars (roughly KRW 90,000–140,000) per ticket to the Hong Kong collaborator, then sold them for up to 12 times the original value.
For instance, tickets with a face value of NT$800 (about KRW 30,000) were being resold for as much as NT$9,800 (KRW 460,000), while premium seats priced at NT$8,980 (KRW 420,000) went for over NT$55,000 (KRW 2.58 million).
The operation even offered added “services” to ease customer concerns about entry. The ring conducted high-priced transactions in upscale hotels near the venue and used doctored ID cards to pass security checks.
This wasn’t Liu’s first foray into scalping. In March 2023, outrage erupted when BLACKPINK concert tickets, originally priced around KRW 410,000, were reportedly resold for up to KRW 18.78 million—a 45-fold increase.
Following a dedicated cyber investigation and digital trail analysis, Taiwanese police were able to arrest Liu and three accomplices. The group is now facing prosecution under the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Act.
Authorities emphasized that illegal ticket resale can result in fines of up to 50 times the original ticket value. In cases involving forged IDs, offenders may face up to five years in prison or fines of NT$500,000 (approximately KRW 23 million).
G-Dragon continues his global tour and is set to perform in Jakarta on July 25. On the other hand, BLACKPINK will perform in New York this weekend.
