"CNN Reporter Denied Solo Dining Twice in Seoul: 'Korea Still Lags in Acceptance of Solo Diners'"

CNN Travel Shares Experience of Being Turned Away as a Solo Diner
"Denied a Meal for Traveling Alone... It Was Embarrassing and Confusing"

An American journalist who recently visited Korea has sparked discussion after sharing his experiences dining at restaurants in the country. While the number of single-person households is increasing in Korea, criticism has emerged that there is still a lack of culture accommodating solo diners.

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On May 5 (local time), CNN Travel, the travel channel of the U.S. network CNN, published an account from the journalist, who said he was turned away twice while trying to eat alone in Korea.

The journalist explained that during his visit to Seoul, around 1 p.m. on a weekday, he went to a restaurant. Indicating he was alone by holding up one finger, he asked, "Can one person dine here?" but received a terse reply: "No solo diners."

This was not the first time he had been refused service as a solo diner. He recalled, "I was denied the chance to eat twice simply for traveling alone," adding that it was a bewildering and confusing experience.

According to CNN Travel, as of 2024, the proportion of single-person households in Korea has exceeded a record 36%, yet social awareness surrounding solo dining remains low. The journalist pointed out that there is a kind of stigma against solo diners in the Korean restaurant industry. He also mentioned an incident last year when a noodle shop in Seoul posted a sign reading, "We do not sell loneliness," which sparked controversy.

However, refusing solo diners is not unique to Korea. In 2023, some restaurants in Barcelona, Spain, caused public outrage by turning away single customers to prioritize groups. Last year, a Turkish restaurant in Liverpool, UK, also made headlines for announcing it would not accommodate single-seat diners, sending solo customers away. The outlet reported that a new term, "Solomangarephobic," meaning the fear of being rejected for solo dining, has even emerged.

Still, some in the industry are targeting the demand from solo diners by opening "single-diner specialty restaurants." The outlet noted that restaurants accepting solo reservations have appeared in major international cities such as New York and London.

According to data from the global restaurant reservation platform OpenTable, solo restaurant reservations worldwide increased by 19% compared to the previous year in 2025. Additionally, it was found that solo diners spend an average of $90—about 130,000 won—which is 54% higher than the overall average. This indicates that solo diners have the potential to become a more efficient and profitable market segment than group customers.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.