“If you’re caught scalping, you’ll be permanently banned from our reservation app. Report any scalping attempts, and we’ll take immediate action. Those who catch scalpers red-handed will be rewarded with a reservation.”
This stern warning was posted on social media by chef Kwon Seong-jun, the winner of Netflix’s cooking competition show “Culinary Class Wars.” Alongside the post, Kwon shared a screenshot of a scalper offering over 700,000 won to buy a reservation for two at his restaurant, Via Toledo Pasta Bar.
Chef Kwon’s restaurant, which exclusively serves course meals, charges between 89,000 and 119,000 won per person. Yet, on secondhand trading platforms, reservations are being resold for 500,000 to 700,000 won. In one case, an offer of 1.5 million won for a two-person reservation even attracted buyers.
Scalping, notorious during the year-end season, has now extended beyond concerts, musicals, and sports games to restaurant reservations. Choi Hyun-seok, another “Culinary Class Wars” top-eight contestant, also addressed the issue on his restaurant Choi Dot’s social media account. “We’ve been alerted to unauthorized resales and transfers of Choi Dot dining tickets on online platforms. These transactions are not legitimate and could harm buyers,” he wrote. Kim Eun-jo, editor of the local restaurant guide Blue Ribbon Survey, warned, “Year-end dining demand is surging, so illegal scalping for popular restaurant reservations is likely to increase.”
Scalping is rampant on secondhand platforms like Karrot Market and Joonggonara. According to the Korea Creative Content Agency, 80% of scalping complaints involve these platforms. Securing a reservation at popular restaurants often feels impossible, with bookings opening weeks or even six months in advance. During peak times, users repeatedly click the reservation button, only to face delays and messages such as “No seats available” or “Your queue number: 21,037.”
Immediately after reservations open, posts like “OOO reservation available for transfer” or “Dinner for two at OOO on December O” appear on secondhand platforms. These posts often demand a premium, with sellers explaining through private messages: “It’s not a face-value transfer; the price is 250,000 won (including a 150,000 won markup). Pay upfront, and I’ll send you the reservation code.” These scalpers, or ticket resellers charging steep premiums, drive prices to extreme levels.
Scalping also affects popular event tickets, causing prices to skyrocket. Tickets for singer Sung Si-kyung’s concert, originally priced at 154,000 won for VIP seats and 121,000 won for A seats, are being resold for 200,000 to 300,000 won. In July, actor Byeon Woo-seok’s fan meeting tickets, priced at 77,000 won, were resold for over 2.35 million won. Similarly, VIP tickets for singer Lim Young-woong’s May concert, originally 187,000 won, surged to 3 million won on resale platforms.
Consumers criticize reservation platforms for failing to address scalping effectively. However, platforms like Catch Table, Interpark Triple, and NHN Link argue they are taking active measures. One staffer explained, “We’re analyzing macro logs to block abuse and exploring penalty systems. But new scalping methods are constantly emerging, making prevention and proof difficult.”
In October, a revision to the Performing Arts Act was passed to penalize scalpers using macros—automated programs to purchase large numbers of tickets. Still, enforcement remains a challenge. A concert organizer noted, “Without solid evidence from investigators proving macro use, it’s difficult to penalize offenders.”
