Mexico president asks Korean counterpart for more BTS concerts

MEXICO CITY, Jan 26 (Reuters) – Huge demand to see K-pop boy band BTS, among the world's most popular artists, has led Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to formally request of her counterpart, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, that he help arrange more concerts in Mexico. "Everyone wants to go," Sheinbaum said at her daily morning press conference on Monday, adding that she had sent a diplomatic letter to South Korea's Lee seeking more concerts. "Around 1 million young people want to buy tickets, but there are only 150,000 tickets available," she said.  The chart-topping band is set to embark on a global tour in April, shortly after they launch their first new album in three years. The band has been on hiatus since 2022 while its members undertook South Korea's mandatory military service. The new tour launched a worldwide scramble for tickets, particularly in Mexico, one of K-pop's largest fan bases, where many people missed the initial rush and others complained to the consumer watchdog about problems with sales. Mexico's consumer watchdog said it has launched a probe into Ticketmaster and is sanctioning resale platforms StubHub and Viagogo for "abusive and disloyal practices" over the BTS ticketing process, without giving more details. Tickets were selling on Ticketmaster from about 1,800 pesos to as much as 17,800 pesos for VIP tickets (around $100 to $1,030), but on resale platforms on Monday the tickets were selling from 11,300 to 92,100 pesos (more than $5,300). The companies did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The watchdog agency said it would help develop new guidelines to better regulate ticket sales to concerts and festivals, with prices and locations established ahead of the tickets' release. Ticketmaster, which is owned by Live Nation Entertainment, has faced other controversies in Mexico, including in 2022 when it reimbursed around $1 million to customers after more than a thousand fans reported being denied access to a Bad Bunny concert at Mexico's Estadio Azteca.  At the time, Ticketmaster criticized resellers and fraudulent ticket vendors and called for stronger control measures. BTS's new album "Arirang" is slated for release in March and the world tour will begin in Goyang, South Korea, on April 9. Just three concerts have been scheduled in Mexico, all in Mexico City's GNP Seguros Stadium, from May 7 to May 10. ($1 = 17.3032 Mexican pesos) (Reporting by Sarah Morland, Diego Ore and Ana Isabel Martinez in Mexico City; Editing by Emily Green and Matthew Lewis)

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