BTS’ long-awaited full-group comeback concert may still be months away, but accommodation prices in Busan have already gone full Fire. As soon as the concert dates dropped, room rates across the southeastern port city surged — with some properties reportedly charging up to 10 times their usual prices, turning what should feel like Spring Day into a budgeting nightmare.
In some cases, fans claim hotels have even asked guests with existing reservations to cancel, only to relist the same rooms at higher prices. For many, it’s less Magic Shop and more Fake Love.
The concerts will mark BTS’ first full-group performances since all seven members completed their mandatory military service, officially ushering in a new era with a world tour kicking off in April. The tour will sweep through North America, Europe, South America and Asia, but domestically, Busan stands alone outside Seoul.
Shows are scheduled for June 12 and 13 — with the second date doubling as BTS’ debut anniversary and a hometown moment for Busan-born members Jimin and Jung Kook. Unsurprisingly, demand from local and overseas ARMY hit Dynamite levels almost instantly.
Within hours of the schedule announcement, hotels in hotspots like Haeundae, Gwangalli and Gijang were largely sold out on local booking platforms. The few remaining rooms came with Not Today energy for anyone on a budget. One five-star hotel that charged around 330,000 won per night the previous week was suddenly listing the same room for over 1 million won during the concert period. A mid-range hotel in Dongnae jumped from 68,000 won on June 10 to 769,000 won on June 12 and 13.
Read more: BTS Announce Monumental $1 Billion 2026–2027 World Tour With 79 Shows Across Five Continents
Budget stays didn’t Stay Gold either. A motel in Busanjin District that typically costs between 60,000 and 90,000 won a night pushed rates beyond 500,000 won for concert days, while some small hotels went full Blood Sweat & Tears, listing single-night stays at over 1.4 million won.
Online, fans have been sharing screenshots of text messages from accommodation operators citing “BTS concert demand” while encouraging guests to cancel. The mood across fan communities? Collective Black Swan despair.
For longtime fans, the uproar feels like déjà vu. In 2022, when BTS held a free concert in Busan to support the city’s World Expo 2030 bid, hotels near the venue were found charging 20 to 30 times their usual rates. A two-night stay that normally cost around 300,000 won reportedly soared to as much as 7.5 million won. Similar controversies play on repeat every year during the Busan Fireworks Festival, when guests complain of last-minute cancellations or surprise demands for extra payment.
The issue has even reached the national stage. Last year, President Lee Jae Myung ordered officials to come up with measures to curb tourist price gouging, warning that such practices hurt regional tourism and South Korea’s global image — not exactly the Permission to Dance moment the country wants.
Still, Busan city officials admit their hands are tied. Under current law, hotels and guesthouses are free to set their own rates, making it difficult to punish businesses simply for hiking prices during peak demand. Authorities can only step in when operators cancel confirmed reservations unilaterally or pressure guests into paying additional fees.
For now, the city plans to deploy officials and tourism association staff to accommodation clusters once again, urging “reasonable pricing” through on-site guidance and moral suasion campaigns.
Whether that will stop prices from going Idol mode is unclear. But as ARMY prepare for a long-awaited reunion, many are hoping this Busan trip won’t cost them their Life Goes On fund.
