Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
Seoul introduces QR reporting system for taxi complaints
City officials check a taxi driver’s alleged rule violation in Seoul on an unspecified date. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
By Jung Min-ho
The Seoul Metropolitan Government has launched a QR code-based reporting system aimed at protecting foreign tourists from price gouging and other unlawful taxi practices.
According to city officials, Wednesday, tourists can quickly report incidents such as meter non-use or excessive fares in English, Chinese or Japanese under the new system, which will be particularly useful for those who do not have time to participate in in-person interviews.
The system is linked to the city government’s commercial vehicle monitoring platform. Thus, officials can cross-check submitted complaints with taxi operation records and, if necessary, impose penalties such as fines and business suspensions, city officials said.
Since June 19, business card-sized flyers have been distributed to foreign visitors at Incheon and Gimpo International Airports. If they want to make QR reports, they can simply do so by scanning a QR code on these cards, according to the city government.
Over the past 10 years, the city government has also executed on-site enforcement as part of efforts to monitor and prevent unlawful taxi practices at major tourist areas — including airports; Itaewon, a popular nightlife and shopping district; and Gangnam Station, a major transit and shopping area.
In 2024 alone, the city conducted 7,435 interviews with foreign tourists and uncovered 345 such wrongdoings. During the first five months of this year, 143 violations were identified.
“We are committed to ensuring that all travelers can enjoy safe and reliable transportation services,” Yeo Jang-gwon, head of the city’s transportation division, said. “We will continue to make it easier for them to share feedback and will enforce the rules more effectively.”