YouTuber Exposes Taxi Overcharging in Korea by Pretending to be a Foreigner

A YouTuber recently shared an experience of being overcharged for a taxi fare while pretending to be a foreigner. On January 15, the YouTube channel ‘찰스알레’ released a video titled ‘Will Taxi Drivers Really Scam You if You Pretend to be a Foreigner at the Airport?’ The YouTuber expressed curiosity about whether taxi drivers in Korea still overcharge foreigners, a common complaint in the past.

Starting from Incheon International Airport, the YouTuber set a fictional nationality and requested a ride to a hotel in Jung-gu, Incheon. When he asked the driver about the fare, the driver quoted 20,000 won. However, the YouTuber had checked the fare on a taxi app beforehand, which estimated it to be around 12,300 won. When he requested the driver to use the meter, the driver refused, claiming it was not operational and allegedly switched the meter to 'cash payment' before turning it off.

When the YouTuber asked for a discount, the driver insisted that it was not possible, stating he needed to return to the airport. Upon reaching the destination, the YouTuber inquired in English whether he could pay by card, but the driver, unable to understand, insisted on cash only.

After exiting the taxi, the YouTuber remarked that foreigners might not be aware of such practices and questioned why only cash was accepted, stating that 20,000 won for a 10-minute ride was excessive. He acknowledged that not all taxi drivers are the same, suggesting that this particular driver was an exception.

In contrast, he later encountered honest taxi drivers. After returning to Incheon International Airport, he again pretended to be a foreigner and took a taxi to Gimpo Airport. This time, the driver used the meter, and the fare matched the taxi app's estimate. The YouTuber also took another taxi from Gimpo Airport to Magoknaru Station, expressing satisfaction that the fare was lower than the app's estimate.

Overcharging foreign passengers has been a recurring issue. In September of the previous year, a taxi driver, identified as A, had his license revoked after repeatedly overcharging foreign customers while claiming it was a 'tip.' A was caught three times for unfair charges between April 2022 and February 2023, leading to a warning, a 30-day suspension, and ultimately the cancellation of his taxi driving license after the third offense, as per the Taxi Development Act and its enforcement regulations.