Popular Korean Website Faces Backlash For Alleged Discrimination

YES24 is a popular Korean internet E-commerce company. Many international K-Pop fans have purchased albums, fan club memberships, concert tickets, etc., via the site.

@happyingeunjee

Yes24 is the ticketing website mostly used by SM artists! Here’s how to make an account as an international fan + I’ll be posting a video of what buying a ticket will look like! Disclaimer: Taeyeon’s concert ticketing has already happened👀👀👀 #yes24 #kpop #kpopconcert #korea #ticketing #kpoptickets #kpopticketing

♬ original sound – happyingeunjee

Yet, many international netizens are now reporting that they are unable to make purchases via the site.

yes24 I hate you YOU’RE WORST THAN TICKETMASTER AND THAT’S NOT A FLEX pic.twitter.com/e7vDY8LYty

— 𝒏𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒆 🥠🍀 (@httpsnari) July 29, 2024

Recently, when netizens attempted to make purchases, there were no international card options available for payment. So, many couldn’t make their purchase.

yes24 has literally gotten rid of the international card options. visa and mastercard are no longer apart of the drop-down box… i keep getting tickets in my basket but can't pay for them… https://t.co/WmiFfvrk0e

— leyla 🧸🍮 (@luckilyleyla) July 29, 2024

イェサ、購入ページ消すから次はカード会社消したよ。ほんと最悪イェサ

#チケッティング #YES24 pic.twitter.com/AIVJDH6VMV

— CHON (@WOOYU26) July 29, 2024

Netizens took to X (formerly Twitter) to express their frustrations and outrage. They called out the site for claiming to be a “global site” only to make it impossible for non-Koreans to check-out.

yes24 tickets, don't call yourself a global website if you're just going to block international credit cards

— ellie ✦ (@hyunehans) July 29, 2024

yes24 why bother making a global site if you’re going to remove the visa and
mastercard options?!? which you’ve had before?!? and conveniently can add when it’s fanclubs you’re selling to intl fans and charging a ridiculous amount for them when we get no benefits

— kimmiˣʰ 🌹🥠 (@XDINARYJILIX) July 29, 2024

@ yes24 pic.twitter.com/uDb3VwZMYo

— 댕꾸 ◡̈ (@SEUNGM1NE) July 29, 2024

Recently, Stray Kids‘ World Tour <dominATE SEOUL> was announced. The fanclub pre-sale was open via YES24 exclusively.

Stray Kids(스트레이 키즈)
World Tour <dominATE SEOUL>

Tonight (7/29) 8PM (KST), STAY 4th Generation Fanclub Presale Ticket Open!

– YES24 : https://t.co/uzigLYAkRt (PC Only)

Please be aware of all the instructions on the official reservation site before booking.#StrayKids… pic.twitter.com/WZY0hCnZBW

— Stray Kids (@Stray_Kids) July 29, 2024

As it’s the start of the group’s world tour, STAYs were eager to attend. Yet, it was made impossible for non-Korean STAYs to buy tickets.

@yes24_official did global members dirty in @Stray_Kids’ DominATE Seoul ticketing with all these: being kicked out of queue, unable to process any payment method, and now the event’s just gone from the site. 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/UXiCvoh3Ll

— E (@eyawanders) July 29, 2024

What can I say… How can non-Korean people make their payments?
Just say it if you don’t want istays to go.. this is so ridiculous @Stray_Kids @yes24_official pic.twitter.com/HVjfEVJYPE

— 은이. ⁸🧸 | ★🥠 (@janice8160) July 29, 2024

STAYs feel like JYP Entertainment and/or YES24 are discriminating against international fans. They wonder if the company(s) only want Koreans to attend.

so @jypnation why did you allow those with membership to log in through the global ticketing site for yes24 where they bought fanclub if you wouldn’t allow international payment methods for the concert tickets?

— ʚ amy ɞ (@amywolfchan) July 29, 2024

is this yes24 being discriminatory against so many istays trying to buy tickets for a concert in seoul? reading all the istays messages on fans made me so sad its not fair https://t.co/ZnXr2IuM8v

— ryn ate 🥠 (@litskz) July 29, 2024

This controversy has resulted in YES24 trending on X with 23.8K related posts at the time of writing.