SEOUL: A South Korean taxi driver is facing public backlash after allegedly making a sexually inappropriate comment to a Thai tourist, raising safety concerns among travellers.
According to a video posted on Thursday (June 19) by a Thai woman in her 30s, her friend was verbally harassed while taking a taxi to Seoul Station to board a KTX train to Busan. She posted the video on TikTok with a warning that read, “Be careful when taking taxis in Korea.”
The driver, attempting to communicate using a translation app, allegedly asked inappropriate personal questions such as “Do you have a boyfriend?” and “Why aren’t you married yet?”
He then suggested he could help her find a job, saying: “It’s not hard. You just need to clean rooms.”
When the alleged victim mentioned she was travelling to Busan, the driver reportedly responded, “Shall we go to Busan in this taxi?” and added, “If you don’t have money for the fare, you can pay with your body.”
The account owner said the most frightening moment for her friend was when the driver stopped the car and kept talking to her. Before reaching the destination, he gave her his phone number and asked when she would return to South Korea.
“Korea is a safe country and has many good people,” the Thai national wrote in the caption, “but don’t assume it is 100 per cent safe.”
The video quickly spread on social media, prompting outrage among South Korean netizens. Many condemned the driver’s behaviour, calling it “a disgrace to the country” and noting that such incidents unfairly damage the reputation of other taxi drivers.
Some users left apologetic comments on the TikTok account, with one writing, “As a Korean, I’m sincerely sorry”, and another added, “You came to Korea expecting good memories, but now you’re leaving with a traumatic experience. As someone who loves Thailand, I’m truly sorry.” - The Korea Herald/ANN
