Wednesday, March 09, 2011

Attending a Korean Concert: The How-Tos

For foreigners, attending a Kpop concert entails air ticket, the uncertainty of getting tickets, getting to the venue and also navigating your way around the concert venue. So here is my blow by blow account made easy on what I did to get my Big Bang Big Show 2011 concert tickets.


Concert venue

1. Getting the tickets
  • Tickets for Kpop concerts can usually be purchased from Gmarket or Interpark. Most agencies use Gmarket (you can use English Gmarket instead of the Korean one. Click on Site Map to access the ticketing section). As a foreigner, we have to contend with the speed of the Internet in Korea and also the use of Korean language on the purchase site.
  • Though Big Show was for 3 days, the tickets on Day 1 sold out within 5mins of my logging in. So always prepare your Gmarket account first by logging in and having your google translate and details ready.
  • If you have a faster LAN connection, use it. Koreans use optic fiber Internet.
  • Once you've managed to enter the Gmarket site and clicked on the seats and category you want, check-out the seats and pay for the tickets using your foreign credit card (Master or Visa).
  • Do note however that Gmarket requires you to register the tickets on payment using a Korean address. I suggest using Gmarket's corporate address in Seoul and put your passport name and your international mobile number (to be later used for verification purposes at the venue). Gmarket will not be sending your ticket to their office; you must exchange your e-ticket for the actual hard copy on the performance date. If you've put your Korean friend's home address when ordering, the ticket will be sent to your friend's address (not to Gmarket office, so be patient).
  • Once payment is confirmed, print the e-ticket and do bring a copy to the venue so that the staff can find your hard copy ticket during exchange. E-ticket is not allowed for entry. You must exchange for hard copy ticket.
  • If you did not manage to purchase the ticket on the first day, don't panic. Koreans tend to release their spare tickets later in the week so getting some less than desirable seats is still better than NOT having tickets at all.
  • Lastly, you can always buy the ticket at the venue but there's no guarantee that you'd get one as there are many Koreans queuing for tickets as well.

2. Day of concert
  • Do arrive at the concert venue EARLY. Kpop concerts are usually held at the Seoul Olympic Park Gymnastics Arena. Take Subway Line 5 to Olympic Park. Just follow the hordes of people exiting the train station.


VIPs outside the Olympic Park Gymnastics Arena

  • How early should you arrive at the venue? Hard core merchandise buyers arrived at 9am even though the concert was at 8pm and sales only started at 3pm. However, if you show up at 3pm, chances are you'd be at the back of the queue. So for Day 3 of Big Show at 6pm, we showed up at 2pm and entered the venue at 415pm.
  • For foreigners with e-tickets, exchange for your hard copy ticket on that day itself at the A-2 Happy Box booth located in front of the Arena. Foreigners will be in the A-Z queue. The rest of the lines will be for Koreans using Hangul surnames. It can get crowded at the ticket collection booth so if unsure, do ask any of the ushers there. Bring some form of photo identification if you are worried. The staff may just ask you for your indicated international phone number to verify your identity.
  • If you have a friend, send them to queue for the merchandise. Standard procedure here is to join a long queue to give your order and pay, then proceed to another queue to collect your merchandise on presentation of receipt.


Queuing to pay and to collect merchandise

  • For most concerts, standing areas require you to collect your WRISTBANDS. Do listen out for the information being said in Korean, Japanese and English at the venue. The YG staff in this instance directed us to the entrance 2-1 for standing tickets and to collect our wristbands.
  • Standing tickets do not allow you to carry your bags but due to space constraints; not everyone will be able to deposit their bags at the storage area. Beware: this is another long queue (no joke in the biting cold) and there is even a separate queue just to deposit your cameras (obviously photography and video recording is not allowed). It IS advisable if you are standing in the pit area to deposit your purchased merchandise. You don't want them to be stomped on.
  • Food-wise, there is a tteokbokki, fish cake store selling some simple dishes. A mini mart can be found outside entrance 2-1. There are no restaurants nearby so if you can, bring food or eat first.
  • Sitting tickets do not require wristbands but you would still have to join the long line for entry. For Big Show Day 3, we spent the extra time available taking photographs of the standees, Big Bang's promo bus, getting the free Fila posters and Gmarket cards.



Standees and the promo bus



More standees and freebies

  • Finally, it's time to go in. Standing tickets will be segregated by section and number so do look out for the section and number signs. Staff will also check your tickets so do keep them handy. Expect to stand for 1.5-2h while waiting to go in.

3. Inside the venue
  • Big Show 11 started pretty much on time, no thanks to the cold and rain. For standing tickets, they will usher you into the pits by sections. Try to find a good spot for yourself but do note it gets HOT in the pit and fans can push you around when the artistes are close. Basically i didn't even need to walk; just got pushed around.


Big Bang showing their "Tonight" MV

  • For sitting tickets, things were more leisurely. They let you in and you can sit and watch the sequence of videos of the band (in this case Big Bang), music videos and sponsor ads. There is even time to eat a snack, take a drink and prepare your torch.
  • Standing or sitting: if you decide to purchase standing tickets, there is no guarantee that you will be right at the barricades to touch your favourite singer's face or receive the towel they throw. Chances are, you will get pushed around by fans. As for sitting tickets, distance is further but you get a comfortable view of the entire concert.
  • Once the lights dimmed, it was a flood of yellow Big Bang torches and let the parrrtyyyy begin!

4. Booo... concert is over and it's time to go home
  • Do remember to collect your bag or camera from the bag deposit.
  • Be patient as there are thousands of fans leaving at the same time. If you are taking the train, make sure your T-card has enough money so you won't have to wait in line to top up your card.
  • Most importantly, BE PATIENT! It could take 30mins or more just to exit the venue.

I miss the boys loads and the concert was AMAZING. Energy was great and Big Bang put up helluva' performance. Wasn't surprising to bump into Aussie, American and European fans either. There were loads of Japanese fans and the handful of Thai, Filipino and us, Singaporeans!

Big Bang jjang! Saranghae Jiyongie.


Loot!
Posted by fongie on 3/09/2011 10:19:00 PM in , , , , ,

156 comments:

Anonymous said...

hey so i was wondring wat phone number should we use to purchase tickets? Im planing to go to a concert. So i kinda nid 2 knw thnx

fongie said...

The specific phone number to call will be shown on the concert webpage in GMkt. So you'd need to find the specific page selling the concert tix in Gmkt.

I believe phone sales is limited to within Korea only (don't think they have a dedicated English-speaking operator). International sales outside of Korea is usually done online thru Gmkt website/Interpark.

Going to Dream Concert? Check the band's website to see if they are selling tix thru Gmkt or Interpark or both.

Anonymous said...

npe. Im planin 2 go to snsd's concert ths july. I reali wantd 2 go 2 big show but i ws hvin my exams then. So cn google translator do the work? And cn the phone number im going 2 put be my international mobile number? And wats gmarket's corporate address? Hehe.. Sorry 4 the suddn rush of questions. Im kinda worried since i heard tickets get sold out in just a couple of mins.

fongie said...

If u r using the global gmarket website and google chrome, it shld auto-translate. If using IE, use google translate. But i must add certain sections won't be translated so use ur intuition to guess.

Use your home country mob num to order as u need to quote this num when collecting ur tix at the venue. Address for gmkt found at http://english.gmarket.co.kr/challenge/neo_contents/company/01_company.asp

Yes tickets get sold out in 5mins. The koreans are very fast.

Anonymous said...

thnx. U were reali so much help.... So i stil need to mke an acct ryt? Hpe i'l get a ticket though..

fongie said...

Yup u definitely need a G-Market account. Make sure you log in first before you start pressing F5 to refresh when they start selling the tickets.

Good luck!

Anonymous said...

oh btw 1 lst question(sorry:p).. Cn i use the english version(english.gmarket.co.kr) of gmarket insted of the korean 1 to buy the tix?

fongie said...

Yup English GMarket is fine. Direct link to ticketing as below or u can click on Site Map at the bottom of the page.

http://english.gmarket.co.kr/challenge/neo_ticket/ticket_main.asp

Either the event will be on the 1st page of the ticketing section or under CONCERT.

Anonymous said...

I want to go snsd 2nd tour too. but after I tested buying ticket at Gmarket , I found only a box message : 석이 지정되지 않았습니다. Then , I can't click buy button. What does it mean?

fongie said...

"Seating is not specified."

Are there still tickets available? Usually this means there are no more tickets in the section that you want.

Anonymous said...

Yes. There're a lots available seats left. But after i selected the seat and clicked on orange button to confirm , it always had the message box like that....

fongie said...

That occurs when someone else has probably clicked the same seats as you and decided to check out. It's really fastest fingers first on G-market.

I usually try to check out tickets in the early morning when I know people in Korea are still sleeping. Else no chance for me to buy the seats I want.

Anonymous said...

I see. Thank you :)

Anonymous said...

so i tried a random concert where the seats are still alot and its been released for 2 weeks but i got tht 석이 지정되지 않았습니다!! msg 2...

fongie said...

I used google translate to translate the new message and it says "Seating has been specified". Different msg from the first one.

I've actually never had this problem buying tix on G-Mkt. Just keep trying. I tried dozens of times before I got my 3rd day tix.

Anonymous said...

ohk ive tried like evryday 2 buy a rndom ticket bt it always sed the sme thng.. So after picking my seat in the stadium pic and pressng the big button at the bottom right with the arrow i shuld be redirectd back 2 the gmarket site so i cn pay now ryt?

fongie said...

Once u've logged in and chosen your seats successfully, u can proceed to pay. U will be directed back to the Gmarket page with an excel-looking table that will display ur seat # selected, costs and then u click pay. This page will typically be in English.

If you didn't choose ur seats successfully, you won't be able to check out.

If you have more problems, suggest looking for the email on G-Market page to contact them directly. Their HELP section isn't too comprehensive.

Anonymous said...

If I use foreign credit card ,but it's VISA/MASTER , I don't have to register it , right?

p.s.I try to booking concerts randomly in the early morning , but still have the same problem. it seems there're ppl have same problem as me -_-"

fongie said...

Nope, no need to register foreign VISA/ Mastercard. Just choose the foreign CC option when paying. They'll prompt you to enter your CC details and CV # at the back of the card.

Then depending on the card, you'd have to verify using SMS code sent to your hp.

Then there must be people having problems booking too. They never limit how many tickets foreigners can buy right?

Anonymous said...

hi i just bought 2 snsd concert ticket on gmarket. but for the shipping add i put the corporate address, will they send it to the tickets to corporate address? so i just print the evoucher and collect on the concert day? and the delivery is on request what does it means? thanks!

fongie said...

Tickets are to be collected on the concert date at venue. Just bring along your print out of evoucher.

Delivery on request is just meaning they're pending your order. Order is taken aldy and ticket is cfm.

Anonymous said...

Hi! I have bought a ticket and I filled my friend's address in Korea. I wonder if Gmarket will send tix to my friend or I have to receive in front of the concert.

fongie said...

If you've used your friend's address in Korea, Gmkt will send the tix to your friend.

Anonymous said...

so i gt 2 standing tix and i took the 1 beside the stage.. Its standing b 1010... So do i get 2 stand according to the number or the ones who got smaller number enter first and pick their standing place like a 1st cme 1st served basis?

fongie said...

As long as it's a standing ticket, it's free standing.

The number just represents how far behind in the queue you are when waiting in line to enter. Smaller the number = further in front in the queue = you get to rush in earlier to your "optimal" standing spot (be it the railing, in the middle etc)

Anonymous said...

lmao... In gmarket they let me choose the standng place so i thot i can actuali stand near the stage... So tht means i wnt be able to stand near the stage ryt?

fongie said...

If you are not near the front of the queue to enter, likely you'd be standing behind the Koreans who are all plastered to the railing. It depends on how well you can squeeze to the edge of the railing to be near the stage.

Whatever it is, you're definitely going to get pushed around. So maybe you can 'push' to the front? ;) Just bring as little as you can do the standing area (bring water.. it's really HOT)

Anonymous said...

hahaha... Im proly goin 2 be 1 of the last to enter so place wil be filld... Lmao its actuali quite dumb to nt arrnge by number... Im quite short(158cm) so yeah~

fongie said...

The section of the queue i was in was 800+ - 1000+ then another section started from 1000+ onwards. So you could be in the front of the queue?

The q to go in takes forever esp for standing. Toilet q is long, merchandise q is long, ticket collection q is long, food q is long.. be patieeeent.

Anonymous said...

oh ok... But in big show hw many standin tix were there for each section(pit)?

fongie said...

Don't know the exact numbers; prob 200-300 per section?

Anonymous said...

lmao in the concrt im going 2 there is only 1050 per section since thres 3 sects...

Anonymous said...

so wen u bought tix 4 big show did u also click on the standing area with number or just the section and then ur number cmes out?

fongie said...

Clicked on standing area with number specified. Think it's the way they operate there

Anonymous said...

so wen u bought in gmarket u hd to click on the smal boxes in each section ryt?

fongie said...

yup

Anonymous said...

so hw many hours before the gven cncert time(7pm) do i hve 2 be there to collect the tix?

fongie said...

3pm or earlier.

Anonymous said...

wat was the height of the people arnd u wen u wre standing in da concert? Lmao im plannin to buy insoles...

fongie said...

average 1.6m and above? Anw the stage is elevated so you should be able to see

Anonymous said...

evn if im stuck in the middle? Lol... Wen u attended big show were u able to se BB clearly?

fongie said...

Stage is elevated so if they walk pass you, you can see them. If it's the main stage area where they're performing, refer to the screens cos you won't be able to see. You're basically only able to see them as close as possible if they are standing in your area.

Which also means, you can't really watch the entire show clearly.

Anonymous said...

Will you be going to the korean wave concert? Im sad daesung cant make it but i cant wait for the gd&top performances!! I think GD looked best in that concept even though he looks good in any concept lol i love gd too your so lucky btw!!

Anonymous said...

Hi, I found this very useful. I've been trying to buy tickets off G-market and I've gotten pretty far on the site without knowing any Korean lol but i'm stuck on the payment page. There are a couple of blanks to fill in. I think the first is address, and then telephone or something but the rest I don't know what to put. Do they only need name, telephone (international) and address of G-market. Do I just print the ticket after? The only tickets left are standing tickets or tickets really far back. I don't know which is better lol.

fongie said...

I'll be going to the Korean music wave :)

fongie said...

Did you use the Global G-Market page? That has payment in English and not Korean.

If you do not have a Korean friend to send the tickets to, then use G-market's corporate address. Phone will be your international phone number. Print the e-ticket and collect actual hard copy at the venue on the concert day itself.

Seoul Olympic Stadium is pretty small actually. Standing tickets - you can only see when the artists walk to your section and the screen. How far back are we talking about in terms of the sitting tickets?

Anonymous said...

Is it ok to cancel my ticket for a better one?

fongie said...

Up to you really if you manage to buy the tickets.

Agnes Cho said...

I tried to click to a SNSD concert for July 2011 and it says, "The requested page is not found. The page you have requested does not exist in Gmarket website. Please check the URL and try again."
SO I tried on another concert and it says the same thing....

fongie said...

Should be a G-Market problem. I managed to click into the Shinee concert page though.

Anonymous said...

Hi , I have bought SNSD concert tix and filled my friend in Korea address for shipping address and I expected Gmarket would sent ticket to her , but the ticket still don't come and it's 2 weeks left before concert. If the tix still don't come , can I use e-ticket to exchange hard copy in front of the concert? Furthermore ,last time I printed e-tix after finishing booking it , the amount in usd is 87.04 , but now I want to re-print e-tix , the amount in usd became 88.56. It made me a bit confusing and wonder if there's any effect.

I try to contact Gmarket via email , but there's no reply...

fongie said...

I don't think you can exchange the e-ticket at the counter on concert date. G-market should send to your friend's home since you gave a Korean address. For faster response, ask your Korean friend to call their helpline?

I've not had my e-tic show different usd rates but I guess what matters is how much they bill your credit card.

Anonymous said...

So i cant claim the tix anymre evn if i addressd it to the gmarket place?

fongie said...

If you used G-market as address, then print e-ticket to collect hard copy at location on concert day. They are not sending the ticket anywhere; it's for you to pick up on location.

If you used friend's address in Korea, then ticket will be sent to your friend.

Anonymous said...

if we claim it on tht day is there any form we hve to fill up or smething?

fongie said...

Hv to verbally confirm the telephone number you used when ordering. Else, bring a photo ID just in case.

Anonymous said...

Hi. I'm going to SNSD's concert in 2 weeks' time and I would like to know, based on your experience, how bad is the queue for the concert merchandise? My friend and I would like to purchase them, but honestly, to go so early and queue is like wasting a good whole morning to tour Seoul :( Is it a good idea to ask someone to help to buy? Or is it better if we queue up ourselves?

Your reply is much appreciated :)

fongie said...

The queue is BAD even though they start the concert merchandise queue early in the morning/afternoon.

Unless you have 1 person queue for merchandise, 1 person to queue to collect your ticket then perhaps the wait will be say 45min-1hr+?

Better to ask someone who is patient to buy but sometimes the merchandise will sell out by the time you get to the cashier so you have to decide straight away what leftovers you want.

Best, don't buy merchandise. It's too time consuming.

Anonymous said...

shuld i bring my passport to claim the tix in the counter?

fongie said...

Passport at your own risk, although they didn't ask me for photo ID. Maybe IC or driver's licence with your name will suffice?

Anonymous said...

in my gmarket shopping lish where i can print my evoucher do i hve to click the item received button evn if i put the gmarket address?

fongie said...

No need to click item received but your e-ticket shld be in 1 of the tabs under shopping list.

Anonymous said...

Well, I don't have to worry about collecting the ticket because i'm on a tour made specially for this concert :)

We want to buy the merchandise because it's our first time to SNSD's concert, and our first time in an overseas concert too! We've decided to reach there by 9am since the concert will start at 4pm. I sure hope the good merchandise doesn't run out too soon!

Thanks for your help!! ^.^

Anonymous said...

I tried to purchase the ticket but it either says the page cannot be found or it is not available at this time. do you happen to know why? (the only that works for me is SHINee's)

fongie said...

I think it's because the ticket is not available to overseas buyers. Only domestic purchase over Gmarket allowed (i.e. buy from Korea).

If you're planning to go to the Incheon Korean Music Wave 2011, see here for info on how to purchase tickets for foreigners.

Foreigners buy ticket from http://www.lookkorea.jp/ (you can find information in the middle of website to the right)

Kaiwa said...

Hi fongie!

First of all thanks for the explanation, It's very helpful :) I only have one question: I've already experimented a little with the seat selection on Gmarket and that's all fine.

The only thing that I am concerned about is the shipping address. You state to type in their corporate address and to print the eVoucher.

Can you use the eVoucher to enter as well? How do you exchange the eVoucher for my ticket and where? Just in the regular ticket line together with everyone that has hard copy tickets?

If you could explain that part a little more that would be great :)

Thanks in advance!

Jordy

fongie said...

Hi Jordy,

You cannot enter with the eVoucher. You must exchange for the actual ticket at the concert venue.

If you're watching the concert at the Seoul Olympic Stadium there is a ticket collection booth labeled A-2 Happy Box located in front of the Arena. Foreigners will be in the A-Z queue. The rest of the lines will be for Koreans using Hangul surnames. It can get crowded at the ticket collection booth so if unsure, do ask any of the ushers there.

Kaiwa said...

Oh wow I completely forgot that I replied here! Sorry :o

Thanks for your reply... It made me a lot more confident to attend a concert in the future!

Cheers

Kristabelle said...

hi! i've been trying to make an order...i can see that i have reserved the seat but don't know what to click in order to pay...I'm using the korean site since the english site does not work...hope u can answer my question! thanks!

dawn.wong said...

Hi Kristabelle, unless you can read Korean, it's probably not advisable for you to make your purchase via the Korean Gmarket site. You might need to enter various payment details etc later on and we won't be able to advise you on that either.

When you say 'the english site does not work', what do you mean? That the site is down? Or that the tickets are not offered there? If they are not offered on the Global site perhaps the tickets are not open to foreigners for sale at all..
You may want to also check on your concert's official website/twitter/facebook pages for more info as well.

dawn.wong said...

Dear blog readers, we thank you for stumbling upon our humble blog and sticking around long enough to read our posts. This post by fongie in particular has received almost a hundred queries! No doubt, it is due to the widespread K-Wave around the world, which of course fongie and myself share a love for as well!

However, we do seek your kind understanding to first go through all the queries listed here before posting your own, as someone may already have faced the same problem as yourself, and fongie may have already helped him/her out there, so by taking the time to go through the lengthy list of queries, you may possibly find your answer straightaway!

Do understand that we are not affiliated with GMarket in anyway, so any form of technical problems you may come across during your purchase.. is best raised to Gmarket helpdesk itself over here: http://english.gmarket.co.kr/challenge/neo_bbs/customercenter_main.asp

As fongie has also mentioned before, we as international customers are competing with the local Koreans when it comes to purchasing these Korean concert tickets, so you may not always be successful on your first try. So it definitely helps to have a little (or a lot) of patience while attempting to purchase your tickets, and if at first you don't succeed, try again!

Good luck! ^^

Anonymous said...

May i know the price of their concert ticket?

fongie said...

Im assuming u meant Big Bang's concert. 2011 price was 77,000won or 88,000won depending on section. Prices may vary so will have to wait for concert info.

Kristabelle said...

hi! I've asked customer service of GMarket and they said they're are no longer selling tickets on their English site.

fongie said...

Hi Kristabelle, I don't read Hangul so I'm unable to help you with the Korean Gmarket site.

If you can't buy tickets off the English site, likely it's no longer for sale to foreigner. Do check your concert's webpage for more info.

Anonymous said...

Hi i read ur previous comments. so does it mean that with standing tickets, it is not first come first serve basis on the day itself. but it is depending on ur ticket queue number?

thanks :)

fongie said...

Prior to entry, u r arranged by section and number. E.g. Section 7 seat 1000-1200 in 1 q, 1201-1400 in next q n so forth. Within the 200, u r further arranged by indiv seat num.

On entry, Where u stand greatly depends on how well you can push ur way to the front once u enter. But nonetheless, u r still within ur section number I.e. Section 7.it's basically free standing in the concert hall. Numbering is merely for organised entry.

sweetcloud said...

Hi fongie! Thank you for this very detailed tutorial and account, I hope I will be able to buy tickets for Super Junior's Super Show in Seoul; unfortunately it is available on Gmarket's Korean page but not on their English page, hopefully it is still available for foreigners. Anyway thank you again ^^

Mailyn said...

I know this is an old post and you will probably kill me for this but I've nowhere else to ask.

I created a Gmarket account with no problem. The problem started when I tried to buy tickets for a concert. I get a pop-up error saying "sorry this item is not available now"

It won't even let me get into the actual concert page. Just a pop-up and that's it.

For the hell of it I tried to see if I could order tickets for just about anything else they had there and I keep getting the same pop-up. Can't go into any pages at all. Just that annoying pop-up!

I've tried in two different computers with 5 different browsers on each one.

That was a long explanation but basically my question is, has this ever happened to you? I can register but I can't buy tickets for anything. I've e-mailed Gmarket but so far nothing from them.

I'm just wondering if anyone else has had this problem. So far it looks as if I'm never going to attend my favorite artists concerts unless I make a korean friend that can go buy the tickets for me.

Why do they make it so hard for foreigners who WANT to spend money in Korea?! :(

fongie said...

@Mailyn,the concert is either no longer selling tickets or they are not selling tickets to foreigners on the English G-Market page. Of which even if u tried using the Korean G-Market page to buy, you're either 1) going to have problems translating Korean 2) not be able to buy due to the lack of local CC details

HTHs

Mailyn said...

But I tried every concert and musical and even exhibits and they all said the same thing. Have you been able to get tickets for Korean concerts at Gmarket lately? If you go to the site and you click on any concert or event does it take you to that page or do you get a pop-up? If you could try and see if it will let you not order but get into the actual page of any concert there I would greatly appreciate it.

I still haven't gotten an answer from Gmarket. I asked them if they no longer sold concert tickets to foreigners or if it's just me that get that error. I am so frustrated by this ordeal.:(

fongie said...

@Mailyn I've tried most of the concerts and am getting the same msg and pop up. I managed to click on the SHINEE concert though. Same reasoning I reckon; tickets not on sale to foreigners. Major ones like YG Family concert etc should have an official page which will direct you to the relevant G-market page.

I've not gone to Seoul in about half a year so I've not tried purchasing tickets since.

Ros said...

Do note however that Gmarket requires you to register the tickets on payment using a Korean address. I suggest using Gmarket's corporate address in Seoul and put your passport name and your international mobile number (to be later used for verification purposes at the venue). Gmarket will not be sending your ticket to their office; you must exchange your e-ticket for the actual hard copy on the performance date.

Have anyone tried this? Use Gmarket's corporate address. My concern is what if I'm unable to collect the hardcopy at the ticketing booth.

fongie said...

I used Gmarket's address to buy my ticket; as did the rest of the foreigners I spoke to.

Ros said...

Oh Thanks. I worried too much. Thanks again ^^

yun said...

Hi Fongie, I'm heading to seoul (ALONE! FIRST TIME! YIKES!) next week for a concert at seoul olympic park (holding onto a standing aka mosh pit tix) and would really appreciate it if you can help me out with these:

- bag deposit: you mentioned not everyone will get to deposit their bags at the concert venue. but they do not allow people at the mosh pits to bring in any bags. was wondering why you mentioned not everyone will have a chance to deposit their bags?

- you also advised that the mosh pit areas will get very hot. i guess i should put my winter jacket in my bag before depositing it? i was thinking of wearing a thin cardigan and tank top with jeans. were you filled with perspire while at the mosh pit?

- are we allowed to bring in our mobile phones? i am thinking of hanging in on a lanyard around my neck.

thank you so much!!!!

fongie said...

@yun, props to you for going alone! I would be so clueless with the language barrier and all. which concert r u gg to?

bag deposit: if you buy alot of merchandise, you won't want to bring them to the mosh pit and have them crushed. hence, alot of the fans will deposit the purchased merchandise and their bag. you won't be able to deposit your bag if the q is too long, if the concert is abt to start, or when they run out of space to put your bags. (it's a real hassle to collect them after the concert cos they zip tie your bag in clear plastic and number them). there's a seperate q for camera deposit (so u can carry ur bag in). All else, i suggest bringing a small sling bag that you don't need to deposit. I carried in my shoulder bag with water bottle etc (excluding camera which i deposited).

mosh pit: You're going to freeze while q-ing 3h prior to entry so i don't suggest depositing ur winter jacket. wear layers and u can always tie your winter jacket ard ur waist (yes i know it looks ugly but it's so dark, no one will notice). the olympic park gets really windy so do bring gloves for when you leave. it's still a 10-15min walk to the train stn. as to whether i was perspiring in the mosh pit; YES! Sweating like a dog and trying to re-hydrate with water the entire time.

mobile: mobile is ok for mosh pit.

yun said...

@fongie: thanks for replying me! i'll be attending suju's concert :)

i won't be buying any merchandise nor bring my camera (just passport which i intend to hide in my shoes, cash in my pocket, mobile ard my neck & glow stick in my hands).

gosh i can't imagine how early i got to be there alone to 1. queue to collect my tix 2. queue to deposit my bag (maybe) 3. queue for wristband 3. queue to go in. concert starts at 4pm so i got to be there at like, 11am? but i'm told the happy box is only open from 1-2pm so even if im there early i won't be able to collect my tix. wish me luck~

lliza03 said...

Hihi..can i chk with u on e ticketing? i hav brought e yg concert tix & indicate gmarket corp add but i juz recv an email sayin tat item hav been delivered! do u get e same email as well or do i need to inform gmarket tat i want to collect at venue?e order status in gmarket has also change to On delivery..wat shld i do on tis?? sori for e many qns as i worry i wont b able to collect my tix...tks alot...

fongie said...

@不甘心, yes i got the same email saying it was delivered and there's no need to infm gmkt that u're collecting at the venue.

There's nothing you need to do when it says order on delivery. Just print the e-ticket and show up on concert date to collect hard copy. Have fun!

lliza03 said...

@fongie..really tks alot for reply...i was really worried over the ticket juz now..10Q:D

Anonymous said...

Hi, just wondering for collecting hard copy at the venue, isn't just for those who used gmarket corp address?
Do you know any information about the delivery process of shipping to a Korean address?

Anonymous said...

hello~ wow I read all the comments & answers already. You have been very helpful!^^
I plan to go to Seoul next year, but i would love to attend a concert there if i go! So i'm planning my trip to be at the right time for a concert (with BEST maybe SM TOWN or SHINee or BIG BANG.)
any ideas on how i can know latest news on upcoming concerts so i prepare? I went to the gmarket english ticket page but there are a lot of OLD concerts and not upcoming ones. If i only can buy via korean ticketing does that mean its not for overseas buyers? :( Thank you in advance!

-ris

fongie said...

If a Korean address is provided, then the ticket will be sent to the address.

fongie said...

@ris, I would suggest either following their company's webpage or social media fan sites or twitter.

Usually the fansites/entertainment company's webpage will direct you to the English G-market page for overseas buyers.

Anonymous said...

Hi Fongie

I'm trying to add the Gmarket corporate address into my address book (to be used as delivery address) and I cant seem to do so. Would you be able to give me a step by step tutorial as to which part of the address im suppose to add into the relevant boxes. I know it's a bit silly but i've been trying several times and still unsuccessful. Your help would be very much appreciated!

fongie said...

Hi, I didn't add G-market's corporate address on checkout. All i did was type in the address when I was checking out and that's about it.

I didn't take screen shots previously so it'd be difficult to describe step by step.

Anonymous said...

Hello Fongie :) I really appreciate your tutorials vor iVIPs. :)Thank you very much it is really helpful.I would like to ask you a question if you dont mind me :)
I am planning to attend BIG SHOW 2012 this year after Saving up for almost 3 years..And it is supposed to be my first KPOP concert,But i dont think i can grab a ticket.because i have no Master/Visa/Paypal....:( Are there other ways? or are there any KVIPz attending a concert and willing to help me? thank you :)
Sorry if it is irrelevant..:(

Anonymous said...

Hi Fongie, so you didn't add in your address book in your G market details but just entered the corporate when you check out? Thanks again!

fongie said...

I think G-Market only takes credit card (Visa/Master/JCB) for overseas buyers and G-Market is the authorised seller for the concert. I don't think there are other ways beyond finding a friend/parent who has a credit card. KVIPs well, I'm not so sure about their level of English communication actually. Very few speak good English in my opinion.

Re: G-Market corp address on checkout. Yes I didn't add to my address book and typed it during check out.

Anonymous said...

Hi, just want to ask if people who are seated can bring cameras? or do they have to deposit it as well? thanks! :)

-Mae
Philippines

fongie said...

Hi Mae,

I brought my camera in but NO chance to take it out at all as the ushers are REALLY strict and will scream at you if you even take it out.

Anonymous said...

This is so awesome, I'm so glad I found this blog because I am actually planing on going to the Big Show 2012, since I will be in Korean until then. The tips are really helpful. I was wondering how I could get the tickets :D

I have some questions though, I know that the tickets for this years show will be open for sell at the end of January through Gmarket. But how do I find the actual link will it be in the Gmarkets main page (in the english Gmarket page) or do I have to look for them in the korean version? and when buying the tickets if I put the address of where I am staying in Korea does that mean that the actual tickets well get to the address? as in I won't need to exchange any e-tickets at the venue.

Oh and the phone number that they ask for can I just use my Korean cel phone number?

Sorry for so many questions, it's just that I really want to go I know I won't have another opportunity like this to go to a Big Bang concert :)

-Mery
Puerto Rico

fongie said...

@Mery, the link will be in the Global Gmarket page and I'm sure fansites will post up the link prior too.

If you have a Korean address and mobile number just use it and they should deliver the hardcopy tickets to you.

Anonymous said...

hello! So its advisable to purchase the tickets using IE or google chrome better?
Thanks Babe!(:

fongie said...

IMO, Chrome. for the auto-translate.

Anonymous said...

Hi Fongie, thanks for the post! i wanted to buy the 2012 bigshow concert ticket, and i went on to gmarket to try buying the tickets, and translating, but i encountered some problems same as the ppl above, for receiving the "Seating has been specified" pop up after i had chosen the seat i want, then it will bring me back to the choose seat page again. i wonder if i had to try for a few more times or the seat i picked has alrdy been choosen?

and am i only able to see the concert's ticket post when it is being released?

fongie said...

Hi Sophelia, "seating has been specified" = someone has already chosen the seat so you have to choose again.

Concert G-Market will be up prior to the official sell date but ability to click and choose seats will only happen at the specified time of sales ( i think 8pm KST?)

Venice said...

hi.. can anyone help me please? my younger sister wants to watch the bigshow 2012 in korea.. and i heard that getting tickets is more like a war.. and we don't have a paypal account.. can anyone buy the tickets for us? we would pay it in korea via meet up.. and we are willing to pay extra.. help would be greatly appreciated.. please help us..

you can email me and my sister at tifa_ayu09@yahoo.com and madelcayetano@yahoo.com

thanks again!
please help us!

Venice said...

we need 2 tickets.. preferrably the 2nd day (march 3) it's release date is on feb. 1.. please help us!

Anonymous said...

ok thanks! i read from ur blog comments overhere, we will first be directed to the choose date and choose seats page, and then to the page where we fill in our imformation? won't that waste time because everyone is fighting over it?

Sofia said...

Hello, I was told that you need a korean id to purchase tickets for concerts. Is this true?

fongie said...

@Sofia, No.

Sofia said...

Thank you so much for the reply fongie! :D

Anonymous said...

Hi! im also having a problem with this error msg 석이 지정되지 않았습니다. Can't seem to be able to proceed even thought the seats i've chosen are available and it happens to all random concerts that i've tried. Any idea on what the problem might be? Big thank you!

Anonymous said...

I have the problem like the upper comment too. I ask Gmarket for that. They said have an error from out country IP address. But I don't know how to fix this problem. Do you have any idea?

fongie said...

@Anons: dont bother trying random concerts as they are not for foreigners (IP is blocked i believe). Use the BigShow G-market site.

@Hessel: About S$140++ a night but check prevailing rates on www.asiarooms.com or www.agoda.com

madds said...

Hi, first off just say to say you're awesome for replying to everyone. I too like the rest tried random concerts but I always get stuck at the pop up because even after selecting the seats and seeing it selected in the bottom right box, I cannot seem to put the seats in my shopping cart and check out.

So the reason for this is because it is not open to foreigners? That would make alot of sense! So the only way to try would be when the tix open sales tomorrow? I'm very worried that I won't be able to put it in my shopping cart.....

fongie said...

@madds, i had the same problem when trying to add the seats when trying random concerts. Even when I tried the actual concert page when the tic sales was open, i had the same problem of adding seats. The Koreans are just too fast! Even though u manage to click on the seats but when trying to check out, you'd realise that the seats cannot be checked out (aldy been sold to some Koreans)...

All i can suggest is to buy the tickets when you expect the Koreans to be sleeping. I.E. wee hours or really early in the morning KST.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

dee said...

Hi Fongie... thanks for all you help.. i've been reading the comments above! I got the same error message and I was freaking out lol.

Anyways, Do you know where I can find the link to the Big Bang show? do they post a link? or do i just search the general "concert" section?

fongie said...

@Dee, this is the link no?
http://event.gmarket.co.kr/html/201201/120120_bigshow/120120_bigshow.asp

Anonymous said...

Hi fongie! Jus wondering what is the speed of your broadband plan when u bought the tix last yr? Cos I tried buying but didn't managed to get any. Thanks in advance for replying!! from: linzy

Hessel said...

the link for buying the bigbang concert is korean :( i tried clicking whatever but i just couldn't get through even just to the point of choosing a seat. I was so exhausted of waiting awhile ago and i think they were late. It was past 8 already when they released the opening of ticket. So you meant you ordered the ticket using the korean site. How did u manage to do that? Even if my page was translated by google, there were still some korean words and i cannot copy and paste them into a translator. I'm so disappointed of not being able to purchase one and i still have an exam tom. By any chance, have you seen some people outside the concert venue lucky enough to purchase a ticket on the day of the concert?

fongie said...

@Anon, just 6mp but it took me over a week to buy my tickets for 2 days... Usually tried at 2-6am.

@Hessel: http://genticket.gmarket.co.kr/challenge/neo_ticket/html_goods/ticket_goods_242392002.asp?goodscode=242392002

In korean but works with google translate. Tickets are sold out now but i think u can just keep going back to the site to try. Yes, u can try to buy tickets at the venue but the q is really long and the seats are probably quite lousy.

xyzifa said...

hi!

what if I don't want the tickets to be delivered to the korean adress but choose to print and exchange later..is that possible? do i need to mail them?

CHERYL said...

Hi there~ Thanks for the detailed guideline. Just wanna check with you if I've bought my tickets from gmarket and I will be collecting the tickets on the day itself. Is there any specific timing that I have to collect my tickets? Tried searching and there're no information on the timing :(

fongie said...

@Cheryl, anytime as long as the booth opens at the Olympic Park.

lindarz said...

Hi @fongie, I just need some help. I had purchased tickets for BB BS 2012. I purchased a ticket for 1 seat on 08/02/12 and another ticket for 2 seats in one transaction on 10/02/12. the status on gmarket states item delivered and it gave me access to view the tracking. The PROBLEM is that when I purchased the tickets I had them sent to the Olympic Parktel Hotel 88-8 Bangi-dong blah blah address (as stated on the website and confirmed by the hotel staff over the phone). As soon as gmarket provided me with tracking number, i called the hotel and they confirmed that they only received 2 tickets not 3 when I purchased 3 seats but in 2 payments/transactions. the hotel staff provided me with the seating numbers for all 3 seats. HOWEVER when i emailed gmarket 3-4 times they all state that the address was unknown/incorrect and that i had to print out an eticket. I wanted the hardcopy to be sent to my hotel. just wanted to know do i need to follow gmarket and print out the eticket and exchange for hardcopy on the day? Do you know what was sent to the hotel? cos the did confirm the seating numbers but only said 2 tickets but not 3 separate tickets. Even if I was meant to print out the etickets should anything be sent to the hotel anyway? Thanks ahead for your help

fongie said...

@lindarz, unable to cfm any of the above as i collected my tickets at the booth on concert day.

eunhye said...

Hi, I'm so grateful for your blog entry. Very informative. I just have some additional concerns that I'm hoping you can help me with. :)

1) I bought my Bigshow tickets from someone else and I noticed that under the price there's a set of numbers and under that is the name of the person. Can I just give/dictate that set of numbers to the person in the Happy booth on the venue? Im assuming thats the cellphone number? I can't provide my id since i'm not the one who booked it. Please advise. I hope they aren't strict with these kind of details.
2) Can we bring regular cameras in? I thought the NO camera policy only applies to DSLRs. Does this mean no cameras of any kind can be brought in?

Thanks in Advance!

fongie said...

@eunhye, best to find out the mob num of the person bought from as a pre-caution.

NO regular cameras either but maybe you can take a few snaps with your camera phone.

sammie said...

hi, if we have a sitting seat, can we bring in a regular camera like a point and shoot?

thanks for the informative post!!

Tracie said...

Hi! I read on another person's how-to guide that I need to use a Windows computer and the Internet Explorer browser to buy tickets because the money is exchanged through Windows programs/plug-ins and check out doesn't work in Safari/Google Chrome. Is this true? I am a Mac user and don't readily have access to a Windows computer. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Hi, thanks for posting this guide. It was really helpful. I tried to check whether G-Market is selling the SMTOWN Live tickets but couldn't find it. I'm not sure if i am searching incorrectly. All is on the G-Market site are 2010 or 2011 concerts.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Thanks again :)

fongie said...

@sammie: no cameras at all
@Tracie: didn't work on my chrome so I had to use IE
@anon: not sure where u r watching SM Town live but in the US they sell the tickets on ticketmaster.

May said...

Hello Fongie :)
Thanks for your tutorial ! :)

I have few questions, actually when I had to enter the address (Gmarket's address), there was a zip code finder, so I filled the form (here's a screenshot : http://img560.imageshack.us/img560/8963/ticketsf.png), so I was wondering what do you type on the last form "enter your remained address" ?

Since I don't know I typed the whole again, is it okay ? :/

Or do I just have to type "34F" and "737" since that's basically what's left since the whole address is "34F, Gangnam Finance Center, 737 Yuksam Dong, Gangnam Gu, Seoul, Korea, 135, 984"

And also, the eticket = mail confirmation ? I don't know how it works, if there's a "eticket" option when you try to buy your tickets.. And I just have to bring the ticket on the concert day and tell them my number, right ?

I'm sorry for all the questions but I'm so scared of not having my tickets for SMTOWN ㅠㅠ

keith said...

I wanna get tickets to SMTOWN when they go on sale, so I've been practicing with Shinee and 2NE1 tickets. Both concerts wouldn't let me use a foreign credit card. Does anyone know if foreign cards will be accepted for SMTOWN? Am I doing something wrong?
Thank you!

Anonymous said...

You GIRL JUST SAVED my life!! wanna go to their concerts!

Anonymous said...

does it matter what city my friend lives in? what if it's not Seoul? may i be sure they sent the ticket in time? or to be sure it'd better get an e-ticket and print it there??? please help^_^

fongie said...

@Anon, I guess G-market would make their best effort to send the ticket to your friend before the concert date. Else, your friend can always call G-market Korea to inquire on the status.

Anonymous said...

do u know the final big bang alive tickets at gmarket is exclsive for Korean or for worldwide? I am trying to google it but no hints.

fongie said...

Worldwide

Anonymous said...

Thanks for your help! but there's nothing mention in english gmarket about the big bang show lately? is it going to pop up on the selling day? I was trying to buy other tickets in Korea gmarket but it was very complicated.

Anonymous said...

Hi, I tried to buy some tickets in Gmarket but when I tried to Select Seats, it doesn't really let me. There's no click button to choose..it just showing list of the seats available.
What does that mean?

Also, does red dates mean sold out and Blue means limited seats?

Thank you so much for ur help

yumi said...

Hi Fongie,

First of all, thank you for this post! It really helps me a lot! ^^

But, still have some doubts...

I wanna buy a Bigbang's tickets at GMarket.

I think I have the same problem as the person that wrote above, but I have one more doubt: you said that they will request a address to ship the ticket and we need to fill it with the corporate address. Is it safe ? I just need to print and change at the concert day? That's all?

I'm really afraid of it because I'm going to Seoul just to see this concert. If something goes wrong, I think I'm gonna die...

And, one more question: is it easy to pay with credit card? Do you know if I can pay with paypal?

Thank you so much!

fongie said...

Korean Gmarket only - use google translate.

Even when you see blue seats, probably by the time you click and choose them they are gone/sold out.

@yumi: i bought my tickets with the corp address and changed to actual on that day. Alot of foreigners do the same thing. Just pay G-market whichever way you feel more comfortable. What's impt is the confirmation.

Linda said...

Hi Fongie,

Thanks for the informative post! I've read through all the FAQ.. Had tried to use google translate but some of the words doesn't translate especially the pop-up. By the time i figured out what it means the tickets were already sold-out! ;(

I didn't managed to find the link in Gmarket English, only managed to enter through Gmarket Korea. If i successfully chosen the seat, will it direct me to payment page in english or Korea?

Yumi,

Did you managed to get the ticket and which site did you use to enter the selling page?

Thanks all!

Yumi said...

Hi Fongie,

Thank you so much! =]
I've tried to buy the tickets again today but I think they're already sold out... I can't believe it! >< (okay, I can, it's the final concert, everybody wants to go...)

But, thank you so much! I'm gonna try again tomorrow! ^^



Hi Linda,

Unfortunately ,I did not manage to get the tickets and I also didn't get to the selling page... I was only checking about how can I pay (if I were able get into this page! haha).

Good lucky for you, Linda!


Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.

Hi.. Can i check for standing ticket.. i heard it is numbered so does that mean i dont have to queue early in the morning? and are they that strict abt no bags for standing pit? i thought of bringing a small string bag..

fongie said...

@you know me, right? standing tix are numbered so as to divide everyone into their sections in the stadium. Let's say section 37 seat 110, so you get into the queue marked section 37 and they number the seats so 1 will be standing first in line at the q and 110 at the back.

it's fine to bring a hand carry bag.

Anonymous said...

was trying to buy tickets in Gmarket, but I can't find the option to choose seat, is it because I'm using mac (so no internet explorer)? just wondering, are you planning to attend G-dragon's solo concert in Seoul?

Anonymous said...

hi there, what if i cant find the buy tickets section...seems like its gone and hard to get in the purchase...please update us and your blog too! T___T

Eizah said...

hi,

i come across the advert of saying 2pm comback concert in june and Dream concert 2013 in may.. yet i could not find any links or website to buy the tickets. i went to interpack and gmaarket still cannot find their tickets in the website.. if you could help me.. pls email me bakc at zahkry2203@gmail.com.

Thanks

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