BTS (Big Hit Music) President Lee Jae Myung has called for stronger action against accommodation price gouging in Busan ahead of BTS' June concerts, as soaring room rates and alleged reservation cancellations continue to draw criticism from fans and the public.The issue drew fresh attention after BTS members addressed the controversy during a livestream Tuesday evening. RM, the group’s leader, asked businesses in Busan dialect not to “overdo it,” referring to reports of sharp hotel price hikes, and expressed disappointment that he had no authority to intervene directly.Other members also voiced displeasure, saying they hoped fans visiting Busan would leave with good memories.Accommodation prices in Busan began rising sharply after BTS announced its world tour schedule in January, including concerts in the city on June 12 and 13. Some reports said room rates jumped more than tenfold amid expectations of surging demand.Many customers said accommodations had urged them to cancel existing reservations or pay additional fees, while others said their bookings were canceled unilaterally. The complaints triggered criticism from both global fans and the Korean public.Busan city officials and related authorities have sought to respond to the complaints, but their efforts have so far had limited effect.Authorities have cracked down on cases in which accommodations charged prices different from those posted online or at reception desks. They have also carried out campaigns urging businesses to maintain reasonable rates during the peak season.Officials from Busan and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism previously told The Korea Herald that authorities lack a legal basis to cap room rates or force accommodations to maintain certain prices, leaving them with limited tools beyond inspections, campaigns and voluntary cooperation from businesses.Instead, the city government, religious groups and universities have opened facilities at relatively low prices or free of charge. Beomeosa, a local Buddhist temple, offered free lodging and meals for 20 visitors attending the concert.Some accommodations have also joined campaigns pledging to keep canceled rooms at their original rates instead of rebooking them at sharply higher prices. Poster for free accommodation applications for BTS concertgoers at Beomeosa, a Buddhist temple in Busan (Beomeosa) As the controversy continued, Lee strongly criticized the price hikes Wednesday and suggested stronger penalties for accommodations that charge excessively high rates or unilaterally cancel reservations.He said price gouging, which has repeatedly surfaced around festivals and concerts in other parts of Korea, could undermine Busan’s potential as a tourism destination.“Even in the case of Busan, people are talking about boycotting local businesses and refusing to spend money there because some tried to profit excessively from the BTS concert by sharply raising accommodation prices,” Lee said.“It harms the entire community. It may even be necessary to publicly disclose the names of those businesses.”The government has announced a package of measures aimed at preventing similar problems around major events. The measures include requiring accommodations to voluntarily set seasonal price caps in advance to prevent sudden hikes after major events are announced.The government also plans to ban arbitrary reservation cancellations aimed at rebooking rooms at higher rates and to impose liability for related consumer damages.However, because the measures require a legal basis through legislation, they are unlikely to take effect in time for the BTS concerts in June. President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a briefing on preparations for the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Haeundae, Busan, Wednesday, where he commented on accommodation price gouging ahead of the BTS concert in the city. (Yonhap)