Check the written price before ordering
For a registered restaurant, Annex 17 of the Food Sanitation Act's Enforcement Rule requires a price list where customers can see it, showing the price the customer actually pays including value-added tax (VAT), and the operator must charge that price; premises of 150 ㎡ or more must post it outside as well as inside. The same Annex requires that the main ingredient and the weight match the list, and that grilled meat is priced per 100 g, with the gram weight printed beside any per-portion price. That gives you three concrete checks at a meat restaurant:
- Is there a per-100 g price? If the board shows only "삼겹살 1인분 ₩19,000" — pork belly, one portion — with no gram figure, the shop is not following the rule.
- Is the price VAT-inclusive? It must be. A "+10% VAT" line added at the till is not lawful in a restaurant.
- Is there a country-of-origin board (원산지 표시판)? That board is compulsory for beef, pork, chicken, the rice in a rice dish, the cabbage and chilli powder in kimchi, and twenty named seafood species. Ask the staff where to find this information if it is not visible.
Street stalls may follow different national or local requirements from registered restaurants. Seoul districts have introduced registration and price-display conditions for some stalls. Check the displayed price and ask about any unclear quantity or charge before ordering.
You can decline pressure to buy
The Punishment of Minor Offenses Act covers two things under one heading, and its enforcement decree fixes the amounts:
| Conduct | On-the-spot fine |
|---|---|
| Pressing unrequested goods on someone, or performing an unrequested service and demanding payment | ₩80,000 |
| Calling out loudly for custom in a place where people gather or pass | ₩50,000 |
You can decline an invitation and keep walking. An invitation alone does not establish the quality of the restaurant; check the menu and prices before deciding.
Check portions and extra charges on the menu
Photographed menus in several languages are not a warning sign in Korea. They are normal, the government is paying for more of them — the 2026 plan funds multilingual QR menus for tourist-oriented markets — and refusing to eat anywhere with an English menu will simply make your trip worse. What to read instead:
- A photo menu with no prices is the warning sign, not the photos.
- Compare any quoted price with the displayed menu. A translated menu is useful, but ask about unexplained price differences.
- Market price (시가) beside a seafood dish is legal and common, but it means you must ask for the number before ordering, and get it in writing or on a calculator screen.
- Check the weight of a meat portion. Ask the staff to clarify any missing information.
- Confirm how the stall measures a portion. Ask whether extra ingredients increase the price before accepting them.
Check which complaint service covers your purchase
Myeongdong is a central Seoul shopping district. It and other busy visitor areas offer many places to eat, but confirm the price, quantity and additional charges before ordering, just as you would elsewhere.
If you are charged a different amount, keep the advertised price, receipt and booking or order details. Ask the business to explain the difference and contact the Seoul Tourism Complaint Center about its current assistance and compensation conditions. Eligibility depends on the scheme and circumstances; a refund is not guaranteed.
What to do when it happens
If you can, raise the discrepancy while the receipt and menu are available. These services can help:
- 1330 — the Korea Travel Helpline, which offers tourist information and interpretation. Ask for help explaining the discrepancy to the restaurant.
- 120 — the city government's own call centre. Price and street-vendor complaints are municipal.
- Call 1800-9008 to contact the Seoul Tourism Complaint Center. Ask whether your complaint qualifies for its compensation programme before expecting a refund. Eligibility depends on the purchase, location and other programme conditions; street vendors and transport are excluded. Keep the receipt, photograph the price board and note the time.
Examples of reported overcharging
On 25 February 2026 the Korean government published a cross-ministry plan to stamp out overcharging. Its complaint table for November 2025 to January 2026 is one published snapshot of reported complaints:
| Where | Korean complainants | Foreign complainants | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants (price differing from the posted one, unfair charges) | 11 | 6 | 17 |
| Taxis (unfair fares, refusing the meter) | 0 | 45 | 45 |
| Accommodation | 44 | 94 | 138 |
| Shopping (over-billing, double charges) | 1 | 12 | 13 |
| Total | 56 | 157 | 213 |
Every taxi overcharging complaint in that window came from a foreign visitor. The plan names real cases: a ₩12,000 Myeongdong-to-Hongdae taxi ride billed at ₩45,000; a Japanese visitor's ₩53,000 chicken order billed at ₩553,000; a market vendor who added meat to an ₩8,000 order of blood sausage (순대) without being asked and charged ₩10,000.
Its diagnosis is the part you can act on: a price-display blind spot. The Food Sanitation Act puts a price-display duty and a duty to charge the displayed price on registered restaurants. Street stalls may fall under different national or local requirements. Confirm the price before ordering, whether you are buying from a restaurant or a street stall.
