Getting into pop-up stores in Korea: Naver booking, waitlists and queue tickets
Seoul's pop-ups are not always walk-in. How Naver booking works with a foreign passport, what on-site waitlists ask for, and what trips up visitors from abroad.
Facts checked Oct 15, 2026 · 2 min read
Pop-up stores in Seongsu and Hongdae usually run for only one to three weeks, and the popular ones need a booking or a queue ticket. There are four ways in. Each pop-up page on this site says which one applies, as far as we know.
On now and coming up
Four ways in
- Walk in: anyone can queue. Weekend afternoons often have a line.
- On-site waitlist: register on a tablet at the door and wait to be called.
- Advance booking on the organiser's page: pick a time slot on their site or app.
- Naver booking: through the booking feature of Naver, Korea's main portal.
Naver booking now works with a foreign passport
Since June 2026, Naver lets people without a Korean mobile number verify their identity with a foreign passport. Naver's announcement says it covers "NAVER Booking, NAVER Order and payment services", done on a smartphone with face recognition.
Two cautions:
- Each shop can choose whether to take bookings from foreigners, and visitors report shops they still could not book after verifying.
- A foreign card is not guaranteed to work for paid bookings on Naver. Check before you get to the payment step.
If it does not work out, look on the pop-up's official social media (usually Instagram) for walk-in slots or an on-site waitlist.
Trouble with on-site waitlists
Some waitlist tablets and apps ask for a Korean phone number.
- Some services let foreigners register with an email address (CatchTable Global is one that visitors mention), but which app a shop uses is up to the shop.
- If you cannot enter a number, ask the staff to call you by name. Showing the request in a translation app helps.
On opening days and weekends, queues for numbered tickets can start before the shop opens. One visitor described tickets handed out from 7:00, registering at 7:25 and getting in at 12:07. That is one account; times vary completely by shop and day.
Checklist before you go
- Checked the pop-up's official Instagram for how to get in and today's news
- If Naver booking is needed, verified your passport before the trip
- Have a way to ask to be called by name if a number is required
- If you are after a first-come gift, checked how and when it is handed out
- Checked it is not the last day (the last day is the busiest)
Sources
- Naver press release (official): navercorp.com
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