S. Korean police to probe e-scooter firms after crash involving teenager leaves woman in coma

A sign marks an e-scooter-free zone in Seoul’s Seocho district on Nov 3, one of two pilot areas designated by the city in May. The corridor runs through a busy education district with heavy student foot traffic. - Newsis/The Korea Herald

SEOUL: South Korean police are weighing criminal liability for e-scooter rental companies after a teen riding a scooter critically injured a woman in Incheon in October, a case that has intensified public anger over a service already strained by years of accidents, sidewalk conflicts and government crackdowns.

The police confirmed they are reviewing whether rental platforms facilitated unlicensed riding in the Songdo accident on Oct 18, which involved two middle school students who crashed into a woman walking with her young daughter.