Money Lost, Money Gained From Protests
By Jane Han
Staff Reporter
There is one part of town that taxi drivers avoid in the afternoon these days. It is of course the Seoul City Hall area, which daily turns into a sea of angry protestors slamming the government over the recent U.S. beef deal. The politics is understandable, drivers say, but financial damage is another issue entirely.
``I was stuck in traffic for almost two hours, without a passenger in the car,'' said Kim Ki-seung, a 46-year-old cab driver, who complained that downtown Seoul, a district that usually draws the most passengers in the early evening hours, is now off limits for most people in his line of business.
He added, ``Even if I try to stay on the other side of the river, things don't go as planned a lot of the time since I go from one passenger to another and so don't know where I'll end up.''
Another driver Park Moon-tae, 51, shared the same problem, saying that he even has to dig into his own pocket these days to pay his employer on time.
Local drivers who are employed by major cab companies are typically required to turn in about 90,000 won every 12 hours, while any additional amount after this is theirs to keep.
``There is no extra money to keep, though. I'm lucky if I don't have to supplement,'' said Kim.
Although these people suffer from the ongoing protests that have turned into a daily political campaign since last month, there are others who are secretly enjoying the chaotic crowds.
Restaurants and convenient stores in the central Seoul region are said to be experiencing strong sales thanks to the throngs of people who converge there daily, often in their thousands.
A survey of 10 convenient stores in the downtown district shows that average sales have hiked almost 25 percent over a one-week period. Bottled water, canned sodas and "gimbap" were among the most popular items.
``We usually refill our refrigerator once every three hours, but we do it almost every hour these days because of the constant rush,'' said a part-time worker at 7-Eleven by the Seoul City Hall.
The Dunkin' Donuts outlet in front of City Hall Plaza says daily sales went up almost 50 percent after the candlelight vigils kicked off last month.
``The pubic frenzy and huge crowds remind me of the 2002 World Cup,'' said a part-time worker at the donut chain. ``The mood is, of course, completely different, but we're seeing similar sales boosts.''