After one fan protested against being unfairly accused as a ticket scalper, IU‘s agency has apologized once again and promised to prevent recurrence. They also apologized to the singer IU.
Previously, a netizen claiming to be a fan of IU had expressed feeling unjustly treated after being mistakenly accused as a ticket scalper and subsequently permanently banned from IU’s fan club, which led to their inability to attend her concert. They stated that due to a payment issue, they had asked a friend to make the payment, which resulted in being wrongly identified as a ticket scalper. The netizen expressed dissatisfaction with the agency’s response and had filed a complaint with the Korea Consumer Agency.
Criticism arose regarding the agency’s excessive response to this situation. In response, the agency issued an initial apology and promised to prevent recurrence, with this second apology being released as a follow-up statement.
Read IU’s agency’s statement below!
Firstly, we sincerely apologize to the fans who have suffered due to our excessive verification process regarding ticket reservations for IU’s 2024 World Tour Seoul solo concert (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Seoul solo concert’). We deeply apologize to the fans who always support our artist IU, and we also apologize to the artist herself for disappointing her and causing her distress.
We have listened to the opinions provided by many fans since April 9, 2024, and we would like to present the following revisions based on their suggestions. Please find the detailed contents below:
- Abolition of the reward policy on illicit ticket trading (secret royal inspector policy)
We will abolish the “reward system” for the “secret royal inspector policy” entirely. Furthermore, we will strengthen our internal monitoring team for unauthorized transactions and premium ticket reservations. In the event that a verification process is required, we will improve the following points instead of the previous excessive verification process:
- Cases where there is no monetary transaction involved in ticket reservations (e.g., attempts to reserve tickets on behalf of family members or acquaintances) will not be considered as unauthorized transactions.
- Prior to the opening of ticket reservations for domestic performances in the future, we will provide guidance on the verification process in the “Unauthorized Ticket Trading Policy Notice” through all official channels and ticket reservation sites.
- We will simplify the verification process in accordance with the revised notice and ensure that fans do not feel psychological burden due to inaccurate verification period demands.
- Personal Identification Process for Ticket Collection
We recognize the need for improvement in the personal identification process for children and adolescent audience members and will refer to various cases from other companies to make improvements.
- For individuals for whom personal identification is difficult with an ID card, we will allow ticket collection after confirming their relationship through a family relationship certificate or resident registration document.
- For new passports, we will maintain the ability to confirm identification without a passport certificate.
- Improvement of the Permanent Expulsion System from Official Fan Clubs
Although we have operated this system as a means to prevent premium trading and unauthorized ticket transactions in both online and offline platforms, recent incidents have deeply saddened us. Therefore, we would like to improve the “IU Official Fan Club Permanent Expulsion System.” From now on, the expulsion system within the official fan club will be operated as “penalties applied (e.g., membership restrictions by generation)” instead of “permanent expulsion.”
- With the improvement of the premium trading and unauthorized ticket trading systems, the criteria for expulsion have changed. Therefore, we will lift all permanent expulsions for existing targets of permanent expulsion from the IU Official Fan Club as of today.
However, individuals who have threatened the artist’s safety or invaded her privacy, as outlined in the “Fan Etiquette Guide Notice” on official channels, will not be included in the list of permanent expulsion revocations. We would like to emphasize that those who have caused social unrest within the fandom in the past or may do so in the future will still be subject to “permanent expulsion” without exception.
- In order to prevent any more unjust treatment of fans, we will carefully examine and discuss the application criteria internally before making any changes.
All of our employees are deeply aware of the need for system reform and problem resolution, especially in light of this incident. We will do our best to prevent recurrence and continuously strive to improve based on the feedback from fans.
We once again apologize for the inconvenience caused by our operating policies to the fans and the great emotional distress caused to the artist. We will continue to monitor and consider your opinions to show further development. We will inform you of additional areas for improvement in the future. Furthermore, EDAM Entertainment, Melon Ticket, and the concert team will do their best to compensate the affected fans according to their wishes throughout the ticket reservation process.
We will become an agency that prioritizes the perspectives of fans and artists even more after this incident. We apologize.
Source: (A)
