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In first, police charge e-scooter company, exec with aiding unlicensed driving after incident

Published: 14 Dec. 2025, 18:16

Workers install signage in Mapo District, western Seoul on May 15, a day before the launch of an e-scooter-free zone. [YONHAP]

Police have charged an electric scooter rental company and one of its executives with aiding unlicensed driving after a crash that left a woman critically injured, officials said. It was the first time such charges have been applied to a scooter rental firm in the country.

The police said the woman has regained consciousness but continues to suffer from memory loss.

The case stems from an accident on Oct. 18 in Incheon, when an e-scooter ridden by two middle school students without a driver’s license approached a young girl. The child’s mother stepped forward to protect the girl and was struck instead.

The child was unharmed, but the woman hit her head on the sidewalk and lost consciousness. She regained consciousness six days after the crash but has since reportedly experienced memory loss.

Police said on Thursday that they booked the rental company and its executive without detention on charges of aiding unlicensed driving. Authorities have not previously applied the charge to a scooter rental company in Korea.

Police plan to question additional company officials before referring the executive and the two middle school students involved in the crash to prosecutors.

The case marks the first instance since the Korean National Police Agency announced in October that it would actively review applying charges for aiding unlicensed driving to companies in response to a rise in e-scooter accidents.

Under the Road Traffic Act, e-scooters fall under personal mobility devices, and only riders aged 16 or older who hold a motorcycle or car license can legally operate them. The two students involved needed a valid driver's license. Police said the rental company failed to adequately verify riders’ license status.

Many scooter rental companies, however, allow users to bypass license verification. Rental applications typically prompt users to register a license, but riders can proceed by selecting options such as “verify later.” Some applications provide no license verification guidance at all, as current law does not mandate rental operators to confirm licenses.

A banner announces an e-scooter-free zone in Mapo District, western Seoul on May 16. [NEWS1]

Some experts question whether applying aiding-unlicensed-driving charges alone will have a sufficient deterrent effect. In most cases, aiding unlicensed driving leads to a summary proceeding and a fine of up to 200,000 won ($135).

“If investigative authorities apply charges for aiding unlicensed driving, the industry could change,” said Jung Kyung-il, a lawyer specializing in traffic accidents at law firm L&L. “But the law needs to mandate penalties such as administrative fines and business suspensions.”

Unlicensed enforcement cases involving e-scooters and other mobility devices rose to 35,382 last year from 7,164 in 2021, according to the Korean National Police Agency. Riders aged 19 or younger accounted for 55.1 percent of all unlicensed cases in 2024.

The rise has fueled calls to tighten license verification requirements for rental companies.

“Because e-scooters rely on contactless rental and return systems, it is difficult to completely prevent unlicensed riding,” said Kim Pil-soo, president of the Korea Personal Mobility Industry Association and a professor of automotive studies at Daelim University. “The law needs to be overhauled to mandate license verification by rental operators and introduce a dedicated mobility device license.”

Seven bills aimed at strengthening oversight of mobility device operators remain pending in the National Assembly.

The government and the Democratic Party said they plan to finalize legislation by the end of this year after holding a public hearing on strengthening oversight of personal mobility devices on Monday.

Lawmakers are discussing measures including an online exam-based mobility device license and mandatory license verification for rental companies.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY MOON SANG-HYEOK [[email protected]]