Daily and non-daily life behind the wheel: Light and dark in our society surrounding taxis > News

The darkest aspect surrounding taxis is the violent crimes that occur in those spaces. The recent sexual assault case experienced by YouTuber Kwak Hyeol-soo raised the serious topic of introducing 'non-consensual rape' into our society, and became the spark for the '2025 Me Too Movement' as the victim directly informed the world of her pain. Similarly, the murder of a taxi driver in Hwaseong showed how a simple argument can escalate into a terrible tragedy, and confirmed how the judiciary coldly rejects the perpetrator's logic of mental and physical weakness. Additionally, the case of a woman in her 30s who threatened innocent citizens by getting behind the wheel while under the influence of drugs clearly proves how vulnerable taxis are when they become targets of crime. These incidents reflect a strong social demand that taxis, a public means of transportation, must be reborn as safe spaces for both passengers and drivers.

In addition to safety issues, taxis are also a symbol that encapsulates the old institutional conflicts in our society. The 'licensing controversy' taking place ahead of the introduction of self-driving taxis, the core of future mobility, once again reminds us of the nightmare of the past 'Tada incident'. The tense conflict between those seeking to protect their vested interests in the taxi licensing system and the mobility industry seeking to expand the market through technological innovation ultimately acts as a barrier to entry that hinders the convenience of consumers. License fees amounting to trillions of won and marginalization in the rental car industry show typical social costs that occur when systems fail to keep up with the pace of technological development. Innovation is the trend of the times, but if we fail to build a social consensus model for the marginalized in the process, we will inevitably be stuck in the wasteful conflicts of the past instead of moving forward into the future.

Meanwhile, the conflict surrounding taxis goes into even the smallest details of daily life and tests the maturity of our society. A recent case in which the parents of a student who overslept during a school field trip charged the school with taxi fare clearly shows the difficulties faced in our educational field where the boundary between public and private responsibility has collapsed. Excessive complaints, such as asking teachers to manage the daily lives of all students, ultimately undermine the essence of educational activities and cause a decline in teaching authority. This symbolically represents how an everyday event such as taking a taxi can escalate into an unreasonable social controversy when combined with parental overprotection. In addition, the case of assault between a Japanese tourist and a local in Thailand shows an international pattern in which conflicts in the process of using services, beyond cultural differences, ultimately lead to physical conflict, and suggests that taxis, wherever they are, can become dangerous places when there is a lack of mutual respect.

Lastly, taxis also serve as an important variable in the process of crime management and enforcement of public power. The incident in which an illegal immigrant who was being transported escaped after removing his handcuffs and was arrested after being reported by a taxi driver is an example of a sharp contrast between the lax management system of public power and the sense of responsibility of citizens. The role of the taxi driver who provided critical information in a situation where there was a loophole in the police escort process reminds us of how important citizen participation is in maintaining public order in our society. On the other hand, insufficiencies in convoy procedures and the absence of security facilities remain public issues that need to be improved. Taxis are not just cars that run on the road, but they can also serve as a means of transportation for criminals and as citizens' eyes to prevent crime. These various incidents surrounding taxis simultaneously question what our society needs to improve systematically and the level of awareness each citizen should have.