Uber CEO faces 2 years of imprisonment on suspicion of illegal operations in South Korea

December 25 news, according to foreign media reports, due to suspected illegal taxi business operations, South Korean prosecutors have filed a lawsuit against Uber founder Travis Kalanick (Travis Kalanick). Although formal charges have been filed against Travis Kalanick and another local car rental operator, the prosecution did not personally detain them. Yonhap News reported that Korean law prohibits renting vehicles to provide passenger pay transportation services, and violators may face a fine of 20 million won (approximately US$18,121) or two years in prison.

In June 2013, Uber was tested in South Korea and officially released in Seoul, South Korea, in August. However, until August this year, Uber officially started its UberX service. The UberX service can use the private car as a taxi after paying the driver of the private car. Uber's carpooling service has angered local taxi drivers who worry that amateur drivers will reduce the cost of regular taxis. It is reported that in order to qualify for taxi operations, taxi drivers in Seoul need to pay about 70 million won (approximately 63,477 US dollars) to obtain a permit, while Uber's UberX driver does not need any special documents.

Uber's UberX service also faces strong opposition from the local government. Before the UberX service was officially released, the Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced that the carpool application was illegal. Other Korean government agencies clearly stated that Uber is not popular in South Korea. A spokesperson for the Seoul Metropolitan Government said in September that “as soon as the testing phase is over, the government will set up a special team to start suppressing and suppressing Uber drivers.” The Seoul Metropolitan Government undoubtedly put this threat into action: In the week, the municipal government passed a decree that any citizen who can report Uber activities will receive 1 million won (US$910). A Uber spokesperson said Uber service is still operating in Seoul.