One thing that Korea has in abundance is taxis. In a small land crammed with so many busy people trying get from A to B, plus the added effect of the small business minded types of Koreans, it seems like everybody is driving a taxi.
As an expat in Korea, you'll find that there really is not much different to Korean taxi culture as opposed to other western countries. Well, there are some quirky differences, but this is a land where quirks can often come in spades.
There is some uniformity to taxis that you'll quickly notice. Some taxis are black, some are grey, some have white cap colors, while some will be yellow. Some will be company owned, others private. It's important to know the difference between two kinds of taxis, which will make a big difference in what you pay.
Also, all taxi companies have phone numbers with which customers can call and bring taxis to where they are with some extra tips.
[edit] General Taxi
The regular ilban (일반) taxis are usually grey or white, with blue or white caps on their rooves. The blue cap taxis are company owned, whereas the white ones will be privately owned. The basic fare is 1,600 won in the Seoul metropolitan area for the first 2km with an additional 100 won for every ensuing 168m. There is a late night surcharge of 20% of the basic fare past midnight.
There are also two types of taxi drivers' license: all taxi drivers start driving their taxi as employees in the taxi companies, and these taxis that belong to a company are called "corporate" (bubin;법인) taxi. After years of service in the taxi company, drivers get a license which allows them to purchase their own vehicle and drive it as a self-employed driver, and the taxis they drive are called "individual" (gaein;개인) taxi.
[edit] Deluxe Taxis
Deluxe, Mobeum(모범) taxis are larger black sedans or vans with a yellow cap on the roof. You'll see these cars sitting around a lot at taxi stands, as they're very business-class so no frugal-minded person wants to take them. The basic fare is 4,500 won for the first 3km and 200 won for each 205m after that. There is no additional charge after midnight like for general taxis. You can readily see them in affluent areas like Gangnam or in front of hotels and airports.
[edit] Preparing for the Ride
[edit] Know the landmarks, not addresses
One thing you must learn about Korea is that their street and address system is mind-boggling, It's amazing that mail even gets to the right places. It's pointless to give a physical address to a taxi driver, as it's much better to give him a landmark in the area around your destination. Once there, you can point him closer or you can get out and walk the rest of the way.
[edit] Korean cards
If you are staying in Korea for awhile, it's important for someone to write down, in Korean, your apartment/hotel address on a card or piece of paper. Also make an address card for your place of employment or any other destination that you frequent.
[edit] Places to grab a taxi
Best places to grab a taxi is at large intersections, outside of high traffic points like subway exits, and shopping and nightlife districts. You can pretty much get one anywhere, but these places are where you'll see the taxi stands. If you are see a line up of taxis at the taxi stand, make sure you take the first one in the line, even if its furthest away.
[edit] Make sure you stand in the right direction
Despite knowing the concept of 'U-turn', taxi drivers will often refuse to drive you, if the cab is going in the opposite direction. You'll then need to get out and cross the street and flag a taxi. Mind you, not all taxi drivers will do this, so don't worry if you can't figure out which side of the street to be on, to go in which direction. But it's important for you to understand that they are not being racist discriminatory or anything if they refuse to take you after you state your destination. You can often expect to see stuff like this happening during rush hour or in the middle of the night when bars are closing, as pedestrians are a dime a dozen for taxis and they can afford to get picky on where they are going and which direction and if your destination is busy enough to likely yield a quick pick-up of a new passenger and keep him earning money.
[edit] Recognizing an Empty Taxi
- look for the light on the roof.
- look to see if there is a passenger already in the car
- checking to see if the vacant sign, BinCha(빈차) is lit up on his dashboard or front window.
Pretty simple.
[edit] Hailing a Taxi
In peak times, there can often be a passenger duel for vacant taxis. Not a shoving match, per se. But more of a subtle positioning of themselves to be in a better spot to flag a taxi. People don't want to wait in this or any country, so even if you've been waiting for 5-10 minutes on a street, expect to see a new person show up and walk a little further down, closer to the direction the taxi will be coming from and snag the cab first. Street positioning is key.
Be assertive. Don't be afraid to step off the sidewalk and a little into the street, to get noticed. Everyone else is going to do that anyways.
[edit] Getting in the Taxi
Get in the back seat, if by yourself. Why? Because it looks weird in any country, no? Unless you are with a group. The left door opens from the outside, but is almost always locked from the inside as a safety precaution, so use the right to get in and out.
[edit] Seatbelts
Seatbelts are mandatory for both front seat passengers and there is a penalty of 30,000won, for not using one. Seatbelts for backseats are only mandatory on highways.
[edit] Giving Directions
As mentioned earlier, address and direction card are your best friends, especially in the early going of being in Korea. If you are 100% sure you know the right Korean word and pronunciation of where you want to go, then say _____ ka joosehyo(__가주세요; take me to ...). Koreans usually refer to locations by landmark, community (dong동), and district(gu,구) names. For clarity, it's usually best to state the 'dong' and a landmark.
The big kicker why this is so important, as there are so many locations in Korea that sound the same. For example, the big headache in Seoul is the difference between Sinchon and Sincheon. Both are popular nightlife districts, one being south of the river in Gangnam, and the other on the north side, near Hongdae. The one in Gangnam is pronounced 'Shinchawn' and the one near Hongdae is 'Shinchohn'. If you can't pull it off and they are befuddled, then say the one that you want and add 'Gangbuk Sinchon'(meaning north side of the river) or 'Gangnam Sincheon'(south side of the river). If you screw this up, it'll cost about 15-20000 in cab fees to get to the right one and anout 30 minutes drive depending on traffic.
[edit] Paying the fare
Once you are at or near the place you want to get off at, you can say:
- "Yeogi naeryeo juseyo"(여기 내려주세요 drop me off here) or simply "yeogiyo".
If you need a receipt, he can print one off for you. To ask for a receipt say:
- "YeongSooJeung Juseyo"(영수증 주세요). Tipping is not required unless he/she helped you with some bags or if you feel that they went above and beyond the call of duty.
[edit] Lost something in a taxi?
Always remember to look behind you as you get out of taxis, as cellphone love to fall out of pockets. And if the cellphone is expensive, then someone might go take it to Yongsan and sell it. However, I've lost two cellphones in cabs before, and the driver returned them to me both times. One was pricey. Nevertheless, be careful.
If you left something behind in a taxi, you can try calling the Lost and Found at TBS (Transportation Broadcasting System) at 2299-1282.
[edit] Reading the Meter
Taxi fare is calculated by both travel distance and time, therefore, don't be alarmed if the fare goes up while stuck in traffic. If a general taxi is moving at less than 15km/hour, an extra 100won will be charged to the fare every 51 seconds.
[edit] Special Service
[edit] BBB Interpretation Service
BBB(Before Babel Brigade) Interpretation Service offers free interpretation of 17 languages for foreigners in Korea. Dial 0606-000-530 from anywhere(except for payphones) and your call will be connected to a volunteer's cellphone.
[edit] Call taxi
Call Taxi is a 24 hour service and is useful to order a taxi when you are in the sticks or a place with low traffic. These are the same taxis as you see on the streets, but the nearest one will be dispatched to you. There is a 1000won fee for the call taxi, plus your trip fare, but sometimes taxi drivers will waive the call fee.
Call Taxis can also be reserved for long distance trips. A reserved taxi can be seen by the red light sign on the right of their sun visor that says Yeyak(예약, reserved).
The following is a list of call taxis in Seoul:
[edit] Visitors Guide Taxis
Around the airport and major hotels and the KNTO building, you may see deluxe taxis that have "Visitors Guide" labels on the right side of the car. These taxi drivers can speak English or Japanese and have been tested by the government to ensure that they are able to converse with foreigners. There is no extra fee for using them.
[edit] Internet Taxi Reservation
If you have a credit card, you can reserve a car 4 hours in advance, by visiting [1] or calling 080-542-5544 for help. In addition to normal reservations, you can also reserve a 4-8hr tour course based on meter fare, for them to tour you around the city and sites.
[edit] Taxi Culture in Korea
There are a few quirks that should be noted.
[edit] Hapseung
Shared ride, Hapseung(합승) is where taxis will ask passengers to share a taxi with other strangers, so that they can earn a double fare for the overlapping distance. This usually can be seen in the busy nightlife districts of Seoul on Friday and Saturday nights, when everybody and their dog is out hailing taxis. The drivers will then be picky about which direction everyone is going, so he doesn't have to detour very much and he can pull a lot of dough during that peak time. This is where you can expect to see taxis (even empty taxis) slow down and roll down their window to see where you're going. If you're not going to a location that is likely to have a lot of potential passengers to pick up along the way, or not likely to have many passengers waiting for him when he gets there, expect him to drive off to the next waiting passenger, so he can listen to the location of where he's going, etc...Foreigners that get rebuffed in these situations often get put off by it and think its racism. More often than not, it doesn't have a lick to do with your skin color. It's about money and how much that they can make during times when there is a supply/demand imbalance for taxis. Even 90 yr old Korean grannies sometimes get the same treatment.
[edit] Dadabeul
'Dadabeul' (which is kind of a slang take on 'double')is an expression that desperate pedestrians say to picky taxi drivers on busy nights, who are passing on pedestrians who are not wanting to go in directions that are favorable to the taxi driver. You're essentially offering to pay double the fare. Some taxis drivers will go for it, some won't care and keep driving by.
[edit] Impatient Driving Habits
Korean taxi drivers haul ass. And when they're not hauling ass, they're riding the brake and you are kissing the back of the front seat or side window. And you will hear honking everywhere of all different sounds. Taxi drivers who drive company-owned taxis are even more compelled to haul ass, as they run on shifts and each driver must deposit a certain amount, before they can start earning their personal income.
[edit] Bullet Taxis
Bullet taxi, Chongal Taekshi(총알택시) are long distance taxis that hang out in front of bus or train stations, usually quoting trips to the outlying Gyeonggi-do cities. They usually try to load up with as many as 4 passengers going to your city, so you may need to wait a bit until he's found 4 passengers or he's given up on trying to find more. These guys don't mess around on the highways, so put on your seatbelts, as you might see speeds in excess of 120-140km/hr, especially late at night after the subway has closed.
[edit] Why Would Taxi Drivers Refuse a Ride?
Good question. As alluded to earlier, they can be picky at certain times. Usually, if we're talking about drivers outside of the busy areas of Seoul, then you will not see much pickiness. But there are some situations that are common everywhere.
[edit] Wrong Side of the Street
As mentioned earlier, they might be headed in a different direction. Especially during busier times, when they can afford to be picky.
[edit] Shift Time
If they are driving company cars, their shift might be almost up and have to return the car back to the dispatch point and want to stay close to that area. The shift change is usually at 4pm. Privately-owned taxis don't have structured shift times, but they might want to head in the direction of their home.
[edit] Peak Time
As mentioned earlier, in some parts of the country, namely on the evenings of Seoul weekends, there is a supply/demand effect that occurs and taxi drivers can become selective and pick passengers only going to busy areas or long distances.
[edit] Passenger Discrimination
Some could be biased. They might not want to pick up a disabled person, because then they might have to help them move in or out, and that takes up time. Or if someone has a lot of bags or luggage. Or foreigners who might not be able to express where they want to go and they get stuck going on a wild goose chase with body language and Konglish.
[edit] Accident with a Taxi?
If you get into a car accident with a taxi or if you are in the taxi while he gets into an accident and you are hurt, then dial 112 for police or 119 for medical emergency. Korean taxis are covered with liability insurance that will pay for your medical costs incurred from the accident.
[edit] Korean language usage for taxis
(When handing them an address.) "Please take me to this address."
- 이 주소로 가주세요. (ee joo-soh-loh kah-joo-say-oh).
"How long will it take to get there?"
- 얼마나 걸릴까요? (eol-mah-nah keol-leel-ggah-yo?)
"How much will it cost to get there?"
- 요금이 얼마나 나올까요? (yoh-geum-ee eol-mah-nah nah-ohl-ggah-yoh?)
"Can you drive fast, please? I'm in a hurry."
- 빨리 좀 가주세요. (bbahlli johm kah-joo-say-yoh)
"Stop here, please"
"Open the trunk. please."
"How much do I owe you?"
"The fare is way too much. Is the meter out of order?"
- 요금이 너무 많이 나왔어요. 미터기 고장난 거 아닌가요?
