The new world tour ‘DEADLINE’ by the group BLACKPINK had a successful opening in Goyang, but some audience members have expressed dissatisfaction regarding visibility issues with certain seats. BLACKPINK attracted about 78,000 spectators over two days, April 5th and 6th, at the Goyang Sports Complex Main Stadium in Gyeonggi Province. However, after the concert, online communities and social media were abuzz with complaints that “the stage was not visible at all.”
**“Paid 130,000 won to watch the screen”… Complaints about visibility emerge**
The seats in question are in the N3 section of the venue. These seats were not classified as obstructed view seats costing 99,000 won but were sold as regular ‘B seats’ for 132,000 won. A large structure was set up in front of the audience in this section, which reportedly blocked the view of the stage.
One attendee expressed anger, saying, “It’s infuriating that these seats weren’t sold as obstructed view seats but as regular seats. You can’t see anything at all.” Another complained, “I paid more than for obstructed view seats, yet I couldn’t see the stage at all. I only watched the screen.”
While the booking page mentioned “obstruction due to structures,” attendees argued that it was not just an obstruction but a “no-view seat.”
**Dispute over “no-view seats” leads to calls for reports to the Consumer Protection Agency**
Criticism continued on social media and communities with comments like “I thought I went to see a wall” and “a seat to admire structures.” Some fans are sharing photos of their view from the venue and are moving to report the issue to the Korea Consumer Agency. According to the Consumer Dispute Resolution Standards for the performance industry, if the organizer’s fault makes viewing significantly difficult, a full refund and an additional compensation of 10% of the ticket price can be obtained as damages. It’s interpreted that if the structures made it practically impossible to enjoy the performance, this standard might apply.
In fact, during the 2023 Bruno Mars concert in Korea, similar issues with so-called “wall-view” seats resulted in refunds for some attendees.
Meanwhile, BLACKPINK is set to continue their tour with a total of 31 performances across 16 cities worldwide, including Los Angeles, New York, Paris, London, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, starting with the Goyang concert.