The Identity of the "Suspicious Vehicles" Sweeping Up Chinese Passengers at Incheon Airport

87% of Illegal Ride-Hailing Operations at Incheon Airport Involve Chinese Nationals
"Visa-Free Entry for Chinese Tourists May Boost Domestic Demand, but Only Harms the Transportation Industry"

An advertisement claiming that illegal Chinese taxis called "Heukcha" provide pickup services at Seoul Airport. Office of Assemblywoman Eunhye Kim

Recently, illegal Chinese taxi operations, commonly referred to as "Heukcha" (black cars), have reportedly been on the rise near Incheon International Airport. Concerns are growing that the livelihoods of domestic licensed transportation workers are being threatened, as many of them operate at Incheon Airport.

According to the office of Assemblywoman Eunhye Kim of the People Power Party on October 27, out of 61 people apprehended during a crackdown on illegal ride-hailing (private car operations) around Incheon Airport in April, 53 individuals (approximately 87%) were Chinese nationals. This indicates that the unauthorized taxi operations prevalent in China have effectively spread to South Korea.

The office of Assemblywoman Kim directly confirmed that numerous promotional posts are being uploaded on Chinese social networking services (SNS), advertising "one-stop services for traveling in Korea," such as airport pickup, car rentals in Korea, and restaurant or hair salon reservation services. When a staff member from the assemblywoman's office inquired with a Heukcha broker, they immediately received a response stating that "if you pay a deposit of 200 yuan (about 38,000 won), a Chinese driver will provide airport-to-hotel pickup service in Chinese."

Statements from transportation industry workers also confirmed that the frequency of picking up Chinese passengers at Incheon Airport has decreased. A representative from a taxi company said, "I often drive routes between Seoul and Incheon, but recently, I can hardly remember picking up any Chinese passengers at Incheon Airport."

Assemblywoman Eunhye Kim has also expressed concerns about the damage to the transportation industry. She stated, "They claimed that visa-free entry for Chinese nationals would boost domestic demand, but in the end, it is only increasing the harm to the domestic transportation sector. In effect, a separate 'China economy' is operating within Korea. To prevent crime and protect the industry, it is necessary to crack down on and eradicate illegal vehicles."