City authorities in Seoul are clamping down on illegal and unfair practices by taxi drivers, including overcharging, declining short trips, and demanding extra payments in the form of tips. The move follows high levels of public complaints about the way some in the taxi sector operate.
The 100-day offensive will focus on taxi activities at the South Korean capital’s airports, as well as around visitor attractions such as Gyeongbokgung Palace and retail destinations like the Myeong-dong shopping district, as it aims to reduce the impact of such activities on tourists. Yeo Jang Kwon, head of transportation for the Seoul Metropolitan Government, has confirmed the measure is intended to “rectify illegal taxi activities ahead of the peak tourism season.”
In 2024, almost a fifth of complaints received by the Korea Tourism Organisation were about taxi firms or drivers, who, the Korea Times reports, have been accused of inflating journey prices, not turning on their meter, and unnecessarily extending trips by taking longer than usual routes. As well as turning down requests for short rides, drivers have been slammed for refusing certain passengers in favour of waiting to pick up tourists whom they can overcharge.
Calling a taxi is not difficult #Companion_Onda_Call_Taxi 🚕
— Seoul Government (@Seoul_gov) July 7, 2025
To help with this, Seoul City is starting a pilot operation of the “Companion Onda Call Taxi from today! 🙌
🔗More : https://t.co/DygnmfjdIH pic.twitter.com/oTCeJR4HOp
It is not the first time Seoul law enforcement has targeted the ride-hailing sector. There have been regular crackdowns since 2015 but still, this year’s efforts alone have uncovered 139 cases of overcharging at airports near Seoul, in addition to 109 cases of taxi drivers turning down short journey requests from foreign passengers.
One incident described in May 2024 by Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Police Agency entailed a driver charging almost 10 times as much as the standard rate for a trip. The culprit was made to reimburse the difference.
Customers can help themselves by becoming familiar with the base fare structure that should be applied to their trip before they set out. Explained by local media, Seoul’s standard taxi rate for travel up to 1.6km is 4,800 won (€2,96). For every additional 131 metres, another 100 won (€0,06) can be charged. Night-time fares are higher and can be up to 6,700 won (€4,14) per 1.6 km.
@korea_unboxed Watch this video before you take taxi in Korea🚕 #taxiscam #taxisinkore #koreatravel ♬ Fast Forward – 전소미
As well as on-the-spot checks by enforcement officers and requiring drivers to provide proper receipts, the city is raising the cost of penalties for drivers who break the rules. It is asking foreign customers to get involved by completing QR code surveys and report violations in a service available in English, Chinese and Japanese. Card-sized survey slips can be found at Incheon Airport and Gimpo Airport.
