Seoul moves to curb taxi fare gouging after almost 500 complaints of overcharging

A poster informs foreign nationals about common unfair taxi practices and how to report them in Seoul / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Tuesday that 487 complaints of overpriced fares were filed within six months after a QR code system for reporting unfair taxi practices was introduced last June.

To address the ongoing issue, the city last month introduced English-language paper taxi receipts that provide passengers with itemized fare details. The move follows a broader push to modernize oversight, including an app-based system for checking fare estimates.

The measures aim to close loopholes that have long left travelers vulnerable to overcharging — which has emerged as the most common complaint among international visitors using taxis in the capital.

New paper receipts show key details — including the final fare, pickup and drop-off times and whether surcharges were applied — in English alongside Korean. The city also standardized English terminology across platforms, using “meter fare” for fares and “toll fee” for road charges.

“Previously, paper taxi receipts were printed only in Korean and did not show whether surcharges were applied, a flaw that could be exploited — such as misuse of the out-of-city surcharge — to overcharge foreign passengers, prompting the city to improve the system,” the city government said.

Under the changes, foreign passengers can now check itemized fare estimates in advance through foreigner-focused apps such as Kakao Mobility’s K.ride and TABA, as well as widely used platforms like Tada and Tmoney’s Onda, with driving fares and toll charges listed separately.

Previously, estimated taxi fares showed only the meter fare, making it difficult to tell whether drivers had added tolls or other charges improperly.

“To curb illegal taxi practices such as overcharging, we will step up efforts to inform foreign passengers about reporting channels and impose stricter penalties on drivers who violate the rules,” said Yeo Jang-kwon, head of the city’s Transportation Bureau.