About 500 admission wristbands were stolen from a ticket booth at a concert venue for K-pop group BTS, authorities said, prompting the group’s agency to warn that any bands obtained through unofficial channels will be invalid for entry.
The theft occurred at around 3:20 p.m. Saturday at a ticket booth at an auxiliary stadium within the Goyang Sports Complex in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, according to police. A man allegedly seized a box containing roughly 500 wristbands used to verify concert access and fled.
Police are reviewing nearby surveillance footage and tracking the suspect based on witness descriptions. Big Hit Music said wristbands issued without proper identity verification at official booths will not be recognized for admission.
The agency also urged fans not to accept or purchase wristbands outside designated checkpoints and to report any such activity to event organizers or police.
Authorities are investigating the case and assessing the risk of unauthorized entry ahead of the concert.
The incident comes as BTS is holding a three-night concert series at Goyang Stadium, part of its “Arirang” world tour following the release of a new album. The group wraps up its final show there tonight, then heads to Tokyo for concerts on April 17-18.
hnpark@heraldcorp.com
