Korea’s fintech leader Toss, K-pop entertainment giant HYBE, and ticketing platform InterparkTriple have joined forces to develop a facial recognition system aimed at preventing ticket scalping. The new system will enable K-pop fans to use their face as their ticket, allowing them to enter concerts by simply passing a camera, and thereby streamlining the ticketing and entry process.
The collaboration was formalized with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Monday, with the partnership marking a significant cross-industry effort to address the ongoing issue of ticket scalping, which has been a major concern in the K-pop industry and beyond.
The system will be implemented to verify identities both during the ticket purchase process and at concert entry points.
Toss, tasked with developing and managing the facial recognition technology, stated that this approach would significantly reduce the use of automated software in purchasing tickets, effectively curbing ticket scalping activities. The technology is also expected to simplify identity verification procedures, eliminating the need for traditional ID checks at venues.
The rise in ticket scalping has been notable, with reports to the Korea Creative Content Agency increasing from 359 cases in 2020 to 2,161 cases last year.
The problem has affected not just K-pop concerts but also other events, such as professional sports. Despite legal measures introduced by the government in March of 2024, including fines and potential prison sentences for those caught selling tickets at inflated prices, concerns remain that these penalties are insufficient.
Technical solutions like the one being developed by Toss and HYBE are emerging as a promising approach to the problem. This initiative follows other efforts in the industry, such as the use of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for concert tickets and other technological measures aimed at preventing bulk purchasing through automated programs.
Several years ago, a similar – though admittedly much smaller in scope – initiative was undertaken by concert promoters in Japan, who began using facial recognition technology to streamline ticketing processes and enhance security at events.
That system was used by promoters of the popular girl band Momoiro Clover Z, and allowed pre-enrolled fans to collect their tickets automatically after a face scan, and members of the band’s fan club were able to sign up for membership cards that store their facial biometric data.
Source: The Korea Times
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August 14, 2024 – by Tony Bitzionis
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