Scammers are exploiting South Korea’s fine dining craze, selling fake reservations for high-end restaurants like Mosu Seoul and Mingles at exorbitant prices on secondhand marketplaces.
“Selling a dinner reservation for two at Mosu Seoul on the evening of the third Friday in March. Asking 1 million won, negotiable.”
Such listings have become common on secondhand trading platforms such as Bungaejangter, Joonggonara, and Danggeun (Karrot). Mosu, a restaurant that earned three stars in the 2023 Michelin Guide Seoul edition, is led by Chef Ahn Sung-jae, who gained widespread recognition through the entertainment show Culinary Class Wars. Despite reaching the pinnacle of S. Korea’s fine dining scene with three Michelin stars, Mosu unexpectedly closed last year for renovations.
The restaurant reopened this month, and reservations quickly proved its enduring appeal. When bookings opened on Mar. 8, all available slots for the next three months were filled within a day. More than 9,000 people are now on a waitlist, hoping to snag a spot if any cancellations arise.
With its relaunch, Chef Ahn raised Mosu’s dinner price by over 30%, from 320,000 won (approximately $220) to $288.86 per person. This makes it the most expensive fine dining dinner in S. Korea, excluding certain sushi omakase restaurants. The new price surpasses that of Mingles, another three-star Michelin restaurant, which charges around $240 per person.
A dinner for two at Mosu costs around $577, but securing a reservation at the original price is nearly impossible. Listings often appear with markups ranging from 50% to double the standard rate.
When contacted, some sellers attempt to create urgency, claiming that weekend slots are in high demand and that others have offered over $1,000 for two seats. Others insist on a deposit, saying they cannot trust the buyer and asking for $340 upfront, promising to transfer the reservation in person on the day.
Fine dining is often a low-margin business due to the high costs of ingredients, interior design, and labor. Even with expensive meals, restaurants frequently struggle to break even. S. Korea’s largest food conglomerate, CJ CheilJedang invested a significant amount in Mosu over the years but ultimately saw little profit and ended its partnership last year.
After parting ways with Mosu, CJ CheilJedang opened a new restaurant, SAN, in Seoul’s Gangnam district in July 2024, in collaboration with Chef Jo Seung-hyun, former head chef of Benu, a three-star Michelin restaurant in San Francisco. However, SAN failed to receive any stars in this year’s Michelin Guide Seoul edition. Currently, Soseol HanNam (one star) is the only Michelin-recognized restaurant operated by CJ CheilJedang.
“Mosu was a private contract with Chef Ahn Sung-jae rather than an official CJ CheilJedang business,” an official from CJ CheilJedang said. Regarding SAN, the official added, “It has been operating for less than a year, so it may not have been eligible for evaluation in this year’s Michelin Guide Seoul edition.”
Meanwhile, unofficial trading of high-priced reservations primarily occurs at fine dining establishments like Mosu and Mingles, which have either attained or previously held three Michelin stars. Industry experts say the phenomenon reflects consumers’ near-blind devotion to celebrity chefs.
“There’s a culture in S. Korea where people feel they must visit Michelin-starred restaurants no matter the price, just to take a photo for social media, which makes them easy targets for scammers,” said Kim So-hyung, a consultant at David & Company. “Instead of following trends, people should take the time to develop their own tastes and dining experiences.”
