SNU NCT WISH Scalping Concerns Grow as Student ID Rental Posts Draw Warnings

Reports of ticket scalping and student ID rentals have grown around the NCT WISH SNU appearance at Seoul National University’s May 14 closing festival event. The issue centers on online posts offering access to university festival performances or lending student identification, while SNU has warned that misuse or transfer of student IDs could result in disciplinary measures and possible criminal responsibility.¹

The controversy comes during Korea’s May university festival season, when popular idol lineups can draw demand from both students and outside fans. Korea Ilbo reported that, on May 13, multiple posts on secondhand trading platforms and X offered university festival tickets or student ID rentals, with prices ranging from 100,000 won to the 500,000-won range.¹

NCT WISH SNU Demand Puts Student-Only Access Under Pressure

SNU NCT WISH Scalping Concerns Grow as Student ID Rental Posts Draw Warnings ticket concept

Seoul National University has become one of the clearest examples of the issue because NCT WISH was listed among performers for the May 14 closing event. The school’s festival organizing side notified students that detection of student ID misuse or transfer could lead to disciplinary action and criminal liability, and Korea Ilbo reported that police would be stationed on the day of the event.¹

Other reports published before the event described a broader market for student ID lending around university festivals. Money Today reported on May 12 that social media posts were offering student ID rentals for money, with listed prices from 50,000 won to 300,000 won per day and some posts asking up to 500,000 won for a two-day rental. The same report cited an example from an account claiming to be an SNU student that offered a student ID rental for 200,000 won.²

Financial News also reported on May 12 that student ID rental prices were generally being discussed at around 100,000 won to 200,000 won per day, with prices differing depending on the festival lineup. The report said university festival planning groups were strengthening verification through methods such as checking school app logins or asking questions that only enrolled students would know.³

Asia Economy reported a wider range, from several tens of thousands of won to 500,000 won, and said some posts included extra conditions such as lending a department jacket or helping with Everytime login access.⁴ Those details show that the reported market is not limited to ordinary ticket resale. Some transactions appear designed to help an outsider pass as a student in an admission process built around campus membership.

Student ID Rental Posts Raise Legal And Privacy Concerns

The student ID rental issue carries risks beyond whether a buyer gains entry to a performance. Queen Economy Queen, citing News1 reporting, said posts related to student IDs and identity document lending or transfer were spreading on X ahead of university festivals. The report identified posts connected to Seoul National University, Hongik University, Ewha Womans University, and Sogang University, and said some listings included conditions such as gender, student number, school app login support, department jacket rental, and campus information.⁵

The inclusion of login access and campus information raises privacy and identity concerns. Asia Economy reported that student ID transfers could expose personal information and that an outsider entering while pretending to be an enrolled student could lead to obstruction-of-business allegations.⁴ Queen Economy Queen quoted attorney Kwak Jun-ho of Law Firm Cheong as saying there is “a possibility that an obstruction-of-business offense could be established.”⁵

For universities, the challenge is practical as well as legal. Student-only admission rules depend on reliable identity checks, but the reported transactions attempt to transfer both credentials and contextual information. If a borrowed ID is paired with a school app login, a department jacket, or campus-specific answers, festival staff may face more complicated verification work at crowded entrances.

The issue also affects enrolled students who are not involved in the trades. Korea Ilbo quoted an SNU student identified by the surname Jeon as saying the event seemed to have become “an event for fandom.”¹ The comment reflects a concern visible across the reports: university festivals are campus events, but high-demand idol appearances can shift attention toward access competition.

University Festivals Become High-Value K-Pop Stages

The demand around SNU’s NCT WISH event sits within a wider entertainment trend. Hankyung reported on May 10 that K-pop idol groups increasingly view university festivals and public festivals as important activity stages, citing May festival lineups that included NCT WISH at Seoul National University and RIIZE at Sogang University. The report said the appeal comes from access to audiences in their early 20s and the promotional effect of social media exposure.⁶

That promotional value helps explain why outside demand can build around performances hosted on campuses. Unlike ordinary concerts, university festivals often use access systems centered on students, school apps, or campus identification. When a popular act appears, the gap between restricted access and outside demand can create incentives for scalping, ID lending, and attempts to bypass checks.

The reports do not provide a single confirmed count of transactions completed, and they do not establish how many posts resulted in actual entry. What they do show is a pattern of posted offers, rising prices, and increasingly detailed attempts to package student credentials with supporting information. The strongest confirmed facts are the reported price ranges, the SNU warning before the May 14 closing event, and the legal risks described by media reports and legal commentary.

Seoul National University’s warning places the focus on enforcement as well as resale behavior. With NCT WISH listed for the May 14 closing event, the school’s notice that student ID misuse or transfer may bring disciplinary and criminal consequences marks a clear response to the reported trade. The broader issue for university festivals is whether student-only events can remain manageable when high-profile K-pop performances create a resale market around campus identity itself.