BTS Comeback Rumors Fill Seoul Hotels as 'Price-Gouge' Fears Rise
Creatrip Team
2 months ago
Rumors that BTS may return for a full-group comeback in March around Gwanghwamun and Gyeongbokgung have sent Seoul’s hotel industry into a tense “calm before the storm.” Luxury hotels near the area are already nearly fully booked for late-March weekends, while mid-range business hotels and motels (motels in Korea) still have availability — making them likely targets for a flood of reservations if a show is confirmed. Industry officials say upscale hotels’ systems limit exceeding the published rack rate, but smaller lodgings have previously canceled bookings and relisted rooms at huge markups (one case reached 1,070,000 won), sparking public outrage. Experts urge stronger measures: rather than relying on fines, authorities could use online travel agency (OTA) pricing data to ban offending properties from government support programs to deter abuses, as was done in Paris during the Olympics. Seoul officials are watching closely to prevent a repeat of past “107-man won room” nightmares.
