Mexico president formally asks South Korean counterpart for more BTS concerts amid high ticket demand

Claudia Sheinbaum said she sent a diplomatic letter to Lee Jae Myung requesting more shows by the K-pop group

Mexico’s president Claudia Sheinbaum has formally asked South Korea to help arrange additional BTS concerts in the country following overwhelming demand for tickets.

Speaking at her daily morning press conference on Monday, Sheinbaum said she had sent a diplomatic letter to South Korean president Lee Jae Myung requesting support in securing more shows by the K-pop group. “Everyone wants to go,” she said, highlighting the scale of public interest. “Around 1 million young people want to buy tickets, but there are only 150,000 tickets available.”

BTS are preparing to launch a global tour in April, shortly after the release of their first album in three years, Arirang. The band has been on hiatus since 2022 while members completed South Korea’s mandatory military service. The return has triggered intense competition for tickets worldwide, with Mexico emerging as one of the most affected markets due to its large and active K-pop fan base.

Only three concerts are currently scheduled in Mexico, all at Mexico City’s GNP Seguros Stadium between May 7 and 10. Many fans were unable to secure tickets during initial sales, while others lodged complaints with Mexico’s consumer watchdog over problems encountered during the purchasing process.

The watchdog confirmed it has opened an investigation into Ticketmaster and is sanctioning resale platforms StubHub and Viagogo for what it described as “abusive and disloyal practices”. Ticket prices on Ticketmaster ranged from around 1,800 pesos to 17,800 pesos for VIP access, but resale listings reportedly climbed as high as 92,100 pesos.

The agency said it plans to develop clearer guidelines for concert and festival ticket sales, including advance transparency on pricing and seating. Ticketmaster, owned by Live Nation Entertainment, has previously faced scrutiny in Mexico, notably in 2022 following issues at a Bad Bunny concert.

BTS’s new album is scheduled to release on March 20, with the world tour beginning in Goyang, South Korea, on April 9.