KUALA LUMPUR - The Seoul Metropolitan Government began issuing bilingual taxi receipts in December 2025 in an effort to curb rising complaints over taxi drivers overcharging foreign passengers.

The city said the new receipts provide English translations of key details, including the total fare, pick-up and drop-off times, late-night and out-of-district surcharges, as well as information on how to report suspected overcharging.

It has also asked private ride-hailing platforms such as Kakao Mobility and Tada to offer fare breakdowns in English, as reported by The Korea Herald.

The city said foreign passengers are particularly vulnerable to overcharging because taxi receipts have traditionally been issued only in Korean, leaving many unaware of how fares and surcharges are calculated.

City data showed that 487 cases of alleged overcharging were reported by foreign passengers between June and December 2025, following the launch of Seoul’s QR-based taxi complaint system.

The government said it is investigating the reported cases and imposing fines where overcharging is confirmed.

As part of its outreach efforts, the city has completed the installation of complaint-guidance stickers inside 71,000 taxis across Seoul.

Banners and posters have also been placed at 78 taxi stands near major tourist areas and in 11 districts frequently visited by foreign travellers, including Myeong-dong, Hongdae and Itaewon.

“To break the cycle of illegal taxi practices such as overcharging, we will actively inform foreign passengers of how to report violations and impose stricter penalties on drivers when wrongdoing is confirmed.

“As we move toward a new era of tourism, we will do our utmost to create a taxi environment where foreign visitors can travel with greater confidence and convenience,” said Yeo Jang-kwon, head of the city’s Transportation Bureau.