Uber seeks cozy ties with Korean gov't
Barney Harford, chief operating officer of Uber, speaks during a general membership meeting of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM Korea) at the Grand Hyatt Seoul hotel, Wednesday. / Courtesy of AMCHAM Korea
By Baek Byung-yeul
U.S. car sharing service provider Uber Technologies apologized to the Korean government Wednesday over its past actions that violated the country's transportation laws, vowing to comply with regulations here.
“We will not launch products or services in Korea that do not comply with the regulatory framework,” Barney Harford, chief operating officer (COO) of Uber, said during a general membership meeting of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM Korea) at the Grand Hyatt Seoul hotel.
The move is to improve the company's presence here. While Uber has about 2 million partner drivers in 600 cities in the world, it has been struggling with its business here.
Uber is mostly known for its signature UberX service in which drivers offer rides using their vehicles. But the service in not available here as unlicensed vehicles are prohibited from operating paid driving services.
Uber currently operates premium taxi service UberBLACK in Seoul. All UberBLACK drivers are registered with the Seoul City Government as taxi services.
Stating that the Korean market is significant to the company, Harford said it will also intensify cooperation with Korean tech firms.
Uber started with the car sharing business, but Harford said the company has been expanding its reach into other businesses. “Uber is not just about cars,” Harford said. “Uber started with cars but it is so much more.”
Though it remains to be seen whether it can find a breakthrough against strong local players; Uber also introduced its food delivery service UberEATS last year. The COO said its food delivery service is available in more than 200 cities around the world and has become an emerging platform that can benefit both restaurant owners and consumers.
The company also has been expanding its partnerships with more companies such as electric bicycle sharing service operator Jump Bikes and electric scooter sharing operator Lime.
Companies doing car sharing services here have been struggling as the government has tightened regulations on them.
When asked how Uber would deal with the government regulations, Harford said the company is currently in talks with the government and wants to make a long-term contribution to the local industry.