[Edaily Reporter An Yu-ri ] The Personal Information Protection Commission is investigating the four major entertainment companies regarding excessive identity verification and personal information collection practices at K-pop concert venues.

According to this newspaper’s reporting on the 22nd, the Personal Information Protection Commission is investigating the personal information protection practices of South Korea’s four major entertainment companies: HYBE(352820), SM (SM ENTERTAINMENT CO., Ltd.(041510)), YG (YG Entertainment Inc.(122870)), and JYP Entertainment Corporation (#JYP Ent.).

The Commission is examining not only whether excessive identity verification took place during the venue admission process but also whether there were any legal violations in the collection, use, and management of personal information across the entertainment companies’ overall operations.

The PIPC aims to complete the investigation by the end of this year and announce the results early next year. If violations of the Personal Information Protection Act are confirmed, the PIPC plans to impose penalties in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.

An official from the PIPC stated, “We are currently conducting the investigation with a focus on the four major entertainment companies, and on-site inspections are also part of the investigation,” adding, “In addition to the issue of identity verification at concert venues, we are investigating the overall state of personal information protection.”

This investigation is part of the PIPC’s priority investigation plan announced earlier this year. In its “2026 Investigation Work Plan,” the PIPC identified the inspection of personal information processing practices in the entertainment industry—including the excessive collection of personal information from children and adolescents at concert venues—as one of six priority investigation areas.

In recent years, K-pop concert venues have faced criticism for demanding excessive personal information as identity verification procedures were tightened to prevent scalping and fraudulent ticket purchases. According to reports, allegations have emerged that at some idol concerts, venue staff—while verifying whether the ticket purchaser’s identity matched that of the actual attendee—forced attendees to recite the last digits of their resident registration numbers or photographed their IDs and shared the images in group chat rooms.

Last July, JYP Entertainment issued an official apology after attendees at a fan meeting for the band DAY6 were asked to submit their elementary school academic records as part of the identity verification process. At the time, the agency stated via social media, “We bow our heads in apology to the audience members who experienced inconvenience and harm due to the identity verification procedures.”

Article 3, Paragraph 1 of the Personal Information Protection Act stipulates that personal information must be collected to the minimum extent necessary for the purpose of processing. Even if the identity verification is intended to prevent scalping, if personal information is requested beyond what is necessary to achieve that purpose or if the collected information is managed improperly, there is a risk of violating the law.

Within the performance industry, there are suggestions that this investigation should be expanded beyond entertainment agencies to include production companies actually responsible for on-site admission management. This is because entertainment agencies typically outsource tasks such as verifying audience members’ identities at venues and managing audience interactions to external production companies rather than handling them directly.

An industry insider stated, “It is the staff of external production companies who actually verify IDs and manage audience entry at performance venues,” adding, “Since most of these are small-scale businesses, it would be more realistic to encourage compliance through guidance rather than imposing harsh penalties such as fines.”