"Enough Is Enough: 700,000 Won, Not 70,000?"... 'K-Overcharging' Hits Foreign Tourists

6,481 taxi overcharging reports, sanctions in just 3.1% of cases
Accommodation providers demand extra fees, unilaterally cancel reservations and resell rooms

A case in which a foreign tourist traveling from downtown Seoul to Incheon International Airport was charged about 700,000 won—nearly 10 times the standard fare—has brought the problem of overcharging tourists into the spotlight.

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According to data submitted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government to Assemblyman Mo Kyung-jong of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the National Assembly’s Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, a total of 6,481 reports of taxi overcharging involving foreign tourists were filed from 2021 through August this year.

Of those, only 204 cases resulted in actual administrative sanctions, just 3.1% of the total. Warnings were the most common, at 176 cases, followed by 26 suspensions of drivers’ licenses and two revocations. Meanwhile, 1,865 reports were closed with cautionary or guidance training, and 4,368 cases were closed internally without any separate sanction, accounting for 67.4% of all reports.

"A Trip That Should Cost 70,000 Won, Charged at 700,000 Won"... Foreign Tourists Continue to Report Losses

Cases of overcharging have continued to emerge. In June, a Taiwanese tourist identified as A said on social media that after taking an Uber Taxi from Jayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, to Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport, she was charged a total of 690,800 won, including 66,000 won in tolls.

A initially set Seoul Station as the destination, then changed it to Incheon International Airport during the trip. The additional fare was supposed to be charged automatically to the card registered in the app, but the driver reportedly requested a separate payment using the card terminal in the vehicle after arriving at the airport.

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With her flight departure time approaching, A ultimately paid the amount demanded. Given that the standard taxi fare for the route is around 70,000 won, including tolls, the charge was nearly 10 times higher. A expressed outrage, saying, "At that price, isn't it like traveling from South Korea to North Korea?"

Similar cases have continued to occur. In a case released by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in January this year, a taxi driver who had taken a foreign passenger from Gimpo Airport to Yeonhui-dong in December 2025 was found to have charged 56,000 won instead of the metered fare of 32,600 won.

More Than 6,400 Reports, but Sanctions in Only 3% of Cases... No Rewards Paid

Although reports of taxi overcharging involving foreign tourists number in the thousands, only a small proportion have resulted in actual sanctions. Of the 4,368 cases closed internally, the largest category, with 3,253 cases, was classified as "other." There were 762 withdrawn reports, 271 mistaken reports and 82 cases that did not meet the requirements.

In particular, the share of all reports closed for "other" reasons rose from 38.8% in 2023 to 56.2% last year and 60.7% as of August this year. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it classifies as "other" cases that it closes internally because it is difficult to verify violations during fact-finding or because individual circumstances are taken into account.

A reward program introduced to encourage reports of overcharging is effectively going unused. The Seoul Metropolitan Government can pay reporters rewards of up to 500,000 won when a report of taxi overcharging involving a foreign tourist results in administrative action.

However, although 204 reports have resulted in administrative action since 2021, there have been no applications for or payments of rewards. Some say the process is too complicated for foreign tourists to apply for and receive a reward after leaving the country.

Accommodation Also Faces Overcharging Complaints... Extra Fees Demanded and Reservations Canceled

Foreign tourists visiting Myeongdong Street in Seoul. Yonhap News Agency.

The pricing controversy has not been limited to taxis. Cases have also emerged in which accommodation providers demanded additional fees for confirmed reservations or unilaterally canceled bookings and then resold the rooms at higher prices.

According to the Korea Tourism Organization, 1,753 complaints about tourism-related inconveniences were filed from January through July this year, already exceeding the 1,744 complaints filed in all of last year. Foreigners accounted for 84.3% of those filing complaints.

By category, complaints related to "general accommodations," including unilateral reservation cancellations and excessive cancellation fees, were the most common, at 500. They were followed by shopping, with 376; airports and aviation, 186; taxis, 182; and hotels, 146.

In a case released in May by the Fair Trade Commission and the Korea Consumer Agency, an accommodation provider in Busan demanded an additional 500,000 won before check-in from a customer with a confirmed two-night reservation during a BTS concert, saying, "You booked at a price below the market rate."

Another accommodation provider was found to have unilaterally canceled a confirmed reservation and then sold the room to another customer at a higher price.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.