Taxi in Taiwan allegedly refuses Korean passengers, damages property

A Korean was allegedly refused a taxi ride in Taiwan because of their nationality, with the driver throwing their luggage from the trunk.

A video of a taxi driver pushing a suitcase out of the trunk and onto the ground, submitted by a Korean resident in Taiwan, aired on JTBC's "Crime Chief" (2014-) on Wednesday.

“While I went to pick up my friend, the driver realized we were Korean and said, ‘I don’t take Korean passengers,’” the resident said. “When I went over to the trunk, all our luggage had already been thrown out.”

The suitcase thrown by the driver reportedly weighed 45 kilograms (99 pounds). Some items, including a laptop, were damaged when the suitcase hit the ground.

“What are you going to do about this?” the resident said they asked the driver, who reportedly responded, “I don’t know.”

When police arrived at the scene, the taxi driver said, “I really hate Korea,” and also referred to Korea as a “traitor.” Police were said to have told the Korean resident that the case would be referred to prosecutors because the driver had neither apologized nor offered to settle.

But prosecutors reportedly declined to indict the driver, citing that the person involved is remorseful and that the Korean resident could easily afford to buy a suitcase. The Korean resident suffered more than 3 million won ($2,200) in losses after the laptop and other belongings inside the suitcase were damaged but received no compensation.

“Many Koreans visit Taiwan, and you can’t treat people like that,” Attorney Park Ji-hoon said and expressed concern that such incidents could deter tourists from visiting Taiwan.

BY SHIN HYE-YEON [[email protected]]