Authorities in Seoul have launched a crackdown on taxi drivers who unfairly treat foreign tourists during the vacation season.
The Seoul municipal government on Wednesday announced a 100-day crackdown to target illegal taxi activities such as overcharging, demanding tips, and refusing to pick up passengers for short rides.
The crackdown will mostly focus on airports and tourist attractions such as the Myeong-dong shopping district in the South Korean capital.
The crackdown is designed to “rectify illegal taxi activities ahead of the peak tourism season in South Korea”, said Yeo Jang Kwon, head of the transportation office at the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
In recent years, foreign travellers have frequently filed complaints about taxi drivers overcharging, refusing to use the meter, or taking unnecessarily long routes, the Korea Times reported.
Last year, taxi-related grievances accounted for nearly 19 per cent of all complaints reported to the Korea Tourism Organisation.
The base fare for a standard taxi ride up to 1.6km is 4,800 won (£2.6) after which 100 won (£0.05) is added every 131 metres. At night, the base fares increase, ranging from 5,800 to 6,700 won (£3.1-3.6), according to local media reports.
A taxi driver was caught overcharging a Chinese tourist for a ride from the Jeju international airport to a hotel near Hamdeok Beach, the Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Police Agency said in May 2024.
The driver collected 200,000 won (£108) for a trip that should have cost 23,000 won (£12.4) and was ordered to refund the overcharged amount of 177,000 won (£95.8).
Seoul authorities have been organising dedicated crackdowns to address illegal taxi activities since 2015, Chosun Biz reported. Despite these measures, taxi drivers allegedly continue their illegal activities by moving their locations to evade police.
Authorities said this year's initiative had targeted 139 cases of overcharging at airports near Seoul and 109 cases of taxi drivers refusing to accept foreign passengers for short rides so far.
The new measures involve deploying enforcement personnel for focused on-site crackdowns, expanding efforts based on QR code surveys from foreign tourists, enhancing systems such as taxi receipt labelling, and imposing stricter penalties.
Millions of foreign tourists visit South Korea each year, lured by the rising popularity of Korean culture, music and film in mainstream media.
Nearly 7.21 million foreign tourists visited South Korea until the end of May this year, up 14.7 per cent from the previous year, according to media reports.
China, Japan, Taiwan, and the US were among the leading countries of origin for tourists visiting South Korea.
The country is expected to receive a record 20 million foreign tourists this year, boosting sluggish domestic consumption, according to a report by the Hyundai Research Institute.
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