Valet Parking Ticket Reignites Mosu Seoul Controversy

As of August 22, 2026, chef Anh Sung-jae — who shot to fame after appearing on a Netflix cooking competition — is facing fresh controversy at his fine-dining restaurant Mosu Seoul, this time over valet parking. Claims are spreading on social media that a customer's car was hit with an illegal-parking fine even though it had been handed over to valet staff.

320,000 won (~$230)Mosu Seoul lunch course price

420,000 won (~$300)Mosu Seoul dinner course price

70 million won (~$51,000)Estimated final repair cost from last year's valet accident

Key points

On August 20, a social media post included photos of an illegal-parking notice issued by the local district office.
Mosu Seoul's lunch course runs 320,000 won (~$230), dinner 420,000 won (~$300), and corkage fees reach 200,000 won (~$145) — pricey even by fine-dining standards.
In April, the restaurant drew backlash after serving a cheaper wine vintage than the one a customer had ordered.
Last December, a valet driver's error damaged a customer's car, sparking a dispute over compensation.

Chef Anh Sung-jae gained mainstream fame after appearing on a Netflix cooking competition show and has since run Mosu Seoul, a two-Michelin-starred fine-dining restaurant in Seoul. The latest controversy involves a customer who handed their car to the restaurant's valet service — only to be fined for illegal parking.

On August 20, a user posted photos on social media that included an illegal-parking notice issued by the local district office. The poster, who also voiced disappointment with the food, called it absurd to be fined despite having used valet service. The exact timing of the violation and who was actually driving the car at the time remain unclear from what's been made public.

Mosu Seoul's lunch course runs about 320,000 won (~$230) and dinner about 420,000 won (~$300), with a corkage fee of up to 200,000 won (~$145) for guests who bring their own wine. Given those prices, online reaction has leaned sarcastic, with many joking that fine dining apparently comes with fine-sized bills at every turn — pointing to the irony of an unexpected parking cost on top of an already expensive meal.

This isn't the restaurant's first service controversy. In April, it emerged that a customer who ordered a 2000-vintage wine was instead served a 2005 vintage worth roughly 100,000 won less. The customer noticed and complained, but rather than apologizing immediately, the staff member reportedly offered to let them taste other vintages instead — a response that fueled criticism. Chef Anh later apologized on social media, saying the employee had been removed from wine-service duties.

Last December, a driver from an outside valet company hired by the restaurant reportedly scraped a customer's car against a building wall while parking it. The valet company initially covered 20 million won (~$14,500) in repairs, but a closer inspection later found more extensive damage, pushing the total repair estimate to around 70 million won (~$51,000) and triggering a dispute over who should cover the difference.

In Korea right nowIn Korea, fatigue with recurring service slip-ups at high-end fine-dining restaurants is spreading across social media. Thanks to the chef's fame and reality-TV profile, both small and large controversies tend to go viral quickly, with cynical jokes about fine dining bringing fine-sized bills everywhere you turn spreading fast through online communities.

FAQ

What kind of restaurant is Mosu Seoul?

It's a two-Michelin-starred fine-dining restaurant in Seoul run by chef Anh Sung-jae, who gained international recognition after appearing on a Netflix cooking competition show.

What's at the center of this parking-fine controversy?

A customer claimed on social media that after handing their car to Mosu Seoul's valet service, the vehicle was hit with an illegal-parking fine from the local district office.

Has the restaurant faced controversy before?

Yes — in April it was criticized for serving a cheaper wine vintage than the one ordered, and in December it was involved in a compensation dispute after a valet-parking accident damaged a customer's car.