Public outrage as South Korean taxi driver suggests Thai tourist 'pay with body'

A South Korean taxi driver who harassed a Thai tourist by suggesting she could pay the fare with her body has sparked widespread anger online in both South Korea and Thailand.

According to the South China Morning Post, the incident occurred on June 19 when a female tourist posted a video on social media showing an interaction with an unidentified taxi driver. The driver communicated with her using a translation app while they were in the vehicle.

During the ride, the driver asked inappropriate personal questions, such as whether she had a boyfriend and why she was not married. He also suggested that he could find her a job, saying: “It is not hard. You just need to clean rooms.”The woman, who was travelling to Seoul Station to catch a train to Busan, was further alarmed when the driver proposed to drive her there himself. He added: “If you do not have money for the fare, you can pay with your body.”

At one point, the driver even stopped the car to talk to her, which the woman found particularly frightening. Upon reaching the station, he gave her his number and asked when she would be returning.

In her social media post, the woman expressed her distress, recounting the unpleasant experience of taking a taxi in South Korea and urging others to be cautious. She also mentioned that she had called the taxi using an app and had reported the driver through the same platform.

Her video quickly gained traction, receiving 660,000 likes and over 400 comments. Online observers from both Thailand and South Korea voiced their support for the woman, with many expressing their anger at the driver’s actions.

Some South Koreans even offered apologies on behalf of the taxi driver. “I am sorry that such a horrible thing happened to you,” one commenter wrote. 

Another urged the woman to report the incident to the police, stating, “You should report the incident to the police. This is sexual harassment. If this type of person is left unpunished, they will do the same to others in future.”

A third South Korean observer suggested that the driver should face severe punishment for sexual harassment or, at the very least, have his personal information made public.

In South Korea, verbal sexual harassment is not formally recognised as a crime. Criminal law only penalises molestation in public spaces. Many commentators have called for new legislation to address verbal sexual harassment, while others have urged that the driver’s licence be revoked.

(2025/07/03-00:00)