From theater seats and department store memberships to credit cards and even city designations, the meaning of ‘VIP’ in South Korea has expanded so much that exclusivity is losing its meaning.
Kim, a 28-year-old office worker, recently attended the musical Jekyll & Hyde at Seoul’s Blue Square Hall, purchasing a VIP seat for 170,000 won (approximately $117.47). To her surprise, her seat was located in the corner of the fourth row on the second floor—a position previously sold as R-grade during the Kinky Boots performance.
“Even with opera glasses, I couldn’t see the actors' expressions. How is this considered a VIP seat?” Kim remarked.
This phenomenon, where everyone is labeled as a VIP, is particularly evident in the performing arts industry.
At Blue Square Hall, VIP seats constitute 48% of the total seating. The CJ Towol Theater at the Seoul Arts Center designates the entire first floor as its highest grade (R·56%). Other major venues follow similar practices: Hongik Art Center’s Grand Theater (55%) and Songpa’s Charlotte Theater (43%).
As a result, many people have expressed frustration, saying that while venues charge around $140 for VIP seats, the experience falls short of genuine VIP treatment.
In the S. Korean retail and credit card industries, expanding VIP tiers has become a common business strategy.
Last year, VIP sales accounted for 40-50% of total revenue at major department stores such as Galleria, Lotte, Shinsegae, and Hyundai. These stores keep the number of VIP members confidential, calling it a closely guarded business secret.
“Instead of making it harder to qualify as a VIP, companies just keep adding more tiers,” an industry insider said.
For instance, at Shinsegae Department Store, spending over $3,450 annually qualifies a customer for VIP status, which is divided into seven tiers: Trinity, Black Diamond, Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Emerald, and Red. Similarly, Galleria has seven tiers, Hyundai Department Store six, and Lotte Department Store five.
Likewise, the credit card subsidiaries of S. Korea’s four major financial holding companies also label certain customers as ‘VIP’ or ‘preferred’ based on spending. However, these perks often don’t differ significantly from those available to regular members.
In the entertainment, fashion, and gaming industries, ‘VIP’ has become so overused that it no longer carries a sense of exclusivity, often feeling indistinguishable from regular status. To compensate, companies have introduced even more exaggerated labels like VVIP, VVVIP, and even VVVVIP.
Lee Eun-hee, a consumer studies professor at Inha University, said, “It’s a marketing tactic designed to make consumers feel like they’re receiving special treatment.”
The sports industry follows a similar pattern. With the professional baseball season set to open on Mar. 22, all 10 KBO teams are selling paid season tickets and memberships.
These packages often include “pre-sale” rights for VIP customers, but five teams have taken it further by introducing even more expensive “pre-pre-sale” rights for select customers. Fans have criticized the move, questioning whether even more advanced pre-sale tiers will follow.
The travel industry is no exception. About 25% of travel packages are now marketed as “VIP” or “high-end” experiences, featuring offerings such as “one Michelin-starred meal per day,””all five-star hotels," or “exclusive parties.”
The concept of being a “special VIP” has even influenced residential choices, with nearly 40% of S. Korea’s population now living in areas designated as “special.” As of last month, 18.98 million out of 51.19 million registered residents (37%) lived in special cities, special self-governing cities or provinces, or special administrative districts.
In 1946, the U.S. military government designated Seoul as a ‘Special City,’ but the original intent was likely closer to the concept of an administrative ‘district,’ similar to Washington, D.C. However, when this idea was conveyed through Japanese, it was translated as ‘Special District’ (特別區), which is believed to have influenced Seoul’s designation as a ‘Special City’ in Korean.
Over the years, the scope of regions designated as ‘special’ has expanded in S. Korea.
Jeju Island was elevated to a special self-governing province in 2006 to reflect its unique tourism and cultural identity, while Sejong City was designated as a special self-governing city in 2012. In 2023, Gangwon-do (province) was granted special self-governing status due to its proximity to North Korea, and last year, Jeollabuk-do received the same designation to support its agriculture-based economy.
Further expanding the use of ‘special’ designations, a 2022 amendment to the Local Autonomy Act granted ‘special case’ status to basic local governments with populations exceeding one million. As a result, Suwon, Yongin, Goyang, Changwon, and Hwaseong were all reclassified under this status.