캐치테이‪블‬ 4+

Doesn’t work for travellers or foreigners who don’t have Korean 010 phone number

I understand that travellers and foreigners can use Catch Table Global app. However, Catch Table Global app has very limited abilities. The most of popular restaurants in Korea require you to join the waitlist online using this app.

The problem is, you need to have 010 Korean number in order to join the waitlist. This makes the travellers and foreigners impossible to join the waitlist as foreigners can’t get 010 phone number unless you are registered with the government (you need to live in Korea and process is also complicated).

This makes very unfair game. Traditionally, you would just go to restaurant physically and form the line. Everyone gets the fair chance and you don’t need 010 phone number or anything. With this app, people without 010 phone number can’t even get an opportunity to try. On the other hand, people with 010 phone number just join the waitlist online wherever you are and do whatever throughout the day and come to the restaurant when you are up. I’ve seen a lot of locals just join the restaurant at 9am online and show up at the restaurant when you are up at 2pm. Not sure why this is called “waitlist”. Also, there are people who are not familiar using smartphone apps etc can’t join the waitlist as nowdays restaurants make this is the only way to join the waitlist.

The most countries even Japan allow the foreigners to use foreign phone number to verify identity, make reservation and join the waitlist.

I want to ask Catch Table developers and management - why do the users have to have 010 phone number to use this app? What is the reason behind this? Is it due to technical limitations or government regulations? Or is it your intention to exclude foreigners and travellers?