$445 taxi ride from Seoul to Incheon? Taiwanese tourist challenges excessive fare

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Allegations that a taxi driver overcharged a Taiwanese tourist nearly tenfold for a ride to Incheon International Airport sparked online debate.

The tourist posted a photo of the receipt on Threads, warning others about their experience when leaving the country on Tuesday.

"Do not take a taxi unless you are prepared to pay 690,800 won ($445) for taxi fare," the tourist wrote.

Earlier that morning, the tourist traveled from eastern Seoul to the airport using the ride-hailing app Uber. The estimated fare was 70,800 won, which the tourist planned to pay through the app.

However, upon arriving at the airport terminal area, the driver allegedly chased the tourist and demanded an immediate separate card payment. The tourist said the driver insisted on processing the card immediately and refused to let the tourist leave until the payment was processed.

A taxi receipt shows a charge of 690,000 won ($445) for a ride from Jayang-dong in eastern Seoul to Incheon International Airport, posted on social media by a Taiwanese tourist who left the country on Tuesday. Captured from Threads

Facing an approaching flight, the tourist complied with the demand and later discovered the 690,800 won charge.

"With this amount of money, isn't it at the level of going from South Korea to North Korea?" the tourist said, adding they had just arrived in Taiwan and planned to challenge the charge with their credit card company.

The post sparked online debate among Taiwanese and Korean users. A commenter who identified himself as a working taxi driver said he heard the taxi company's explanation directly, noting the driver was born in 1947.

"They said he entered an extra zero while processing the payment," the commenter said, adding that the driver realized the inflated fare while leaving the airport and immediately requested a payment cancellation.

A smartphone screenshot shows the initial ride request on the ride-hailing app Uber, which displayed an estimated fare of around 70,000 won ($46) for the trip to Incheon International Airport. Captured from Threads

However, other online users questioned the explanation. They pointed out that foreign visitors are frequently targeted for overcharging when heading to the airport because drivers assume they cannot easily dispute the charge after leaving the country. Several commenters also directed the tourist to complaint channels to receive a refund.

As the controversy grew, the tourist said a refund would settle the matter.

"I only want a refund, and I do not want to question the taxi driver's intentions anymore," the tourist said, adding they decided to believe the explanation that the driver made an input error due to his advanced age.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.