A taxi driver who transported passengers from Pohang, Gyeongbuk to Daejeon was unable to collect a fare of 280,000 won in a 'meoktwi' (fare evasion) incident, prompting the police to launch an investigation.
On the 11th, the Yuseong Police Station in Daejeon received a complaint from taxi driver Mr. A and is currently investigating, according to Yonhap News Agency.
The incident became known after Mr. A's daughter posted about it on an online community.
Customers Who Fled Without Paying a Taxi Fare of 280,000 Won from Pohang to Daejeon [Image Source=Online Community BobaeDream Capture]
According to Mr. A's daughter, on the 8th at around 2:30 PM near Yeongildae Beach in Pohang, Mr. A picked up two female passengers and drove for about 3 hours and 10 minutes to the requested destination in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon.
The passengers attempted to pay the taxi fare of 280,000 won using a transportation card, but the payment failed due to insufficient balance. They then gave Mr. A their phone number and promised, "We will transfer the money after going home in about 10 minutes," before getting out of the taxi.
However, the passengers did not send the fare to Mr. A, and when he could not reach them by phone, Mr. A filed a complaint with the police.
In her post, Mr. A's daughter expressed, "It seems the passengers deliberately committed 'meoktwi,' and my father, who is not very familiar with this, was victimized. He wandered around trying to find the passengers in an unfamiliar area until it got dark and only returned home late at night. It is very upsetting."
A police official stated, "The suspects have not yet been identified, but once caught, they will be investigated under fraud charges."
Meanwhile, fare evasion in taxis is punishable by a fine of up to 100,000 won under the Minor Offenses Act. However, if intentional fare evasion is proven, it constitutes fraud, which can result in imprisonment of up to 10 years or a fine of up to 20 million won.
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