South Korean taxi driver under fire for sexually harassing Thai tourist
According to a video posted by a Thai woman, her friend was verbally harassed while taking a taxi in Seoul. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: UNSPLASH
SEOUL - A South Korean taxi driver is facing public backlash after allegedly making a sexually inappropriate comment to a Thai tourist, raising safety concerns among travellers.
According to a video posted on June 19 by a Thai woman in her 30s, her friend was verbally harassed while taking a taxi to Seoul Station to board a KTX train to Busan. She posted the video on TikTok with a warning that read, 'Be careful when taking taxis in Korea.'
The driver, attempting to communicate using a translation app, allegedly asked inappropriate personal questions such as 'Do you have a boyfriend?' and 'Why aren't you married yet?'
He then suggested he could help her find a job, saying: 'It's not hard. You just need to clean rooms.'
When the alleged victim mentioned she was travelling to Busan, the driver reportedly responded, 'Shall we go to Busan in this taxi?' and added, 'If you don't have money for the fare, you can pay with your body.'
The account owner said the most frightening moment for her friend was when the driver stopped the car and kept talking to her. Before reaching the destination, he gave her his phone number and asked when she would return to South Korea.
'Korea is a safe country and has many good people,' the Thai national wrote in the caption, 'but don't assume it is 100 per cent safe.'
The video quickly spread on social media, prompting outrage among South Korean netizens. Many condemned the driver's behaviour, calling it 'a disgrace to the country' and noting that such incidents unfairly damage the reputation of other taxi drivers.
Some users left apologetic comments on the TikTok account, with one writing, 'As a Korean, I'm sincerely sorry', and another added, 'You came to Korea expecting good memories, but now you're leaving with a traumatic experience. As someone who loves Thailand, I'm truly sorry.' THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
32 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Man shot dead outside Klang motorcycle shop, third shooting in Malaysia in recent days
According to a Facebook post by a user, at least six gunshots were reportedly fired at the victim. PHOTO: THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Man shot dead outside Klang motorcycle shop, third shooting in Malaysia in recent days PETALING JAYA - A man is believed to have been shot dead outside a motorcycle shop in Batu 5, Jalan Meru in Klang, Malaysia on the afternoon June 20. According to a Facebook post by a user, at least six gunshots were reportedly fired at the victim, who was inside a pickup truck parked in front of the premises. 'People of Meru, be careful. A shooting has just happened here,' the user wrote in the post, which quickly gained traction online, Sinar Harian reported. Several other Facebook users also shared their experiences of either witnessing or hearing the incident. One user, Ms Anisha Syam, said she heard the gunshots clearly and described the sound as frightening. 'It was really terrifying to hear those gunshots,' she said. Another user, Mr Badrul Hisham Mohd Nor, said he had just left the area shortly before the incident occurred. 'I had just finished changing my motorcycle tyre at the shop. I was there a bit earlier before it happened,' he said. Efforts to get police confirmation on the incident are ongoing. Two open shooting cases occurred within four days in Brickfields and Cheras recently. Based on police's initial investigations, the shooting incident involving two men in front of a shopping complex in Jalan Loke Yew, Cheras, at midnight on June 17, is believed to have stemmed from smuggling activities in Sibu, Sarawak. The incident that occurred in Brickfields on June 13 is believed to have resulted from a conflict in criminal activities occurring in Selangor. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
32 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Elephant that ravaged Desaru fruit farm has been relocated
A male elephant was captured by the Johor Wildlife and National Parks Department after it ravaged a fruit farm. PHOTO: THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Elephant that ravaged Desaru fruit farm has been relocated KOTA TINGGI - An elephant that has been ravaging a fruit farm for the past week in Malaysia has been successfully relocated, said Johor health and environment committee chairman Ling Tian Soon. He said the male elephant was captured by the Johor Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) on June 19. 'We received a report about an elephant entering and damaging coconut and fruit plantations at Desaru Fruit Farm a week earlier,' he said on Facebook, adding that an operation was later launched on June 16 to capture the elephant. 'The elephant was later found on June 19 within Universiti Teknologi Malaysia's land in Sungai Cemaran, Desaru.' He added that the operation, dubbed Ops Gajah, was conducted around Tanjung Sedili and nearby areas. 'The operation was carried out by Johor Perhilitan's Elephant Capture Unit, which confirmed the animal's identity and successfully relocated it to prevent further human-wildlife conflict,' he added. Meanwhile, when contacted, Johor Perhilitan director Aminuddin Jamin said that the elephant was believed to be from the ID Panti herd. 'The elephant may have lost its way and we have relocated it to its natural habitat,' he said. 'The elephant is part of the ID Panti group, which is one of the five identified herds in Johor.' THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Rwanda arrests opposition leader Ingabire, her lawyer protests
Rwandan Opposition politician and leader of the unregistered Development And Liberty For All (DALFA) party Victoire Ingabire talks her supporters, inside the High Court in Kigali, Rwanda June 19, 2025. REUTERS/Jean Bizimana Rwandan Opposition politician and leader of the unregistered Development And Liberty For All (DALFA) party Victoire Ingabire talks to Rwandan lawyer and opposition politician Bernard Ntaganda, inside the High Court in Kigali, Rwanda June 19, 2025. REUTERS/Jean Bizimana Rwandan Opposition politician and leader of the unregistered Development And Liberty For All (DALFA) party Victoire Ingabire talks to Rwandan lawyer and opposition politician Bernard Ntaganda, inside the High Court in Kigali, Rwanda June 19, 2025. REUTERS/Jean Bizimana KIGALI - Rwanda has arrested prominent opposition leader Victoire Ingabire on charges of inciting public disorder and creating a criminal organisation, a state investigative agency said - a move one of her lawyers said was politically motivated. Ingabire, who heads unregistered opposition party DALFA–Umurinzi, returned from exile to contest a presidential election in 2010, but was barred from standing after being accused of genocide denial. She was jailed two years later on charges related to conspiring to form an armed group and seeking to minimise the 1994 genocide - charges she denied - and freed in 2018. She is now accused of "playing a role in creating a criminal organisation and engaging in acts that incite public disorder," the Rwanda Investigations Bureau said in a statement late on Thursday. It did not say when she would be charged in court. "For us, this is a continuation of a long process of intimidation and political harassment against Victoire and her supporters," Iain Edwards, one of Ingabire's international lawyers, told Reuters. "It's to silence her and to warn others not to speak out against the government. People always fear for the lives of political opponents in Rwanda. I certainly fear for her life," he added. Yolande Makolo, the government's spokesperson, did not immediately respond to a message and phone call requesting comment on the lawyer's statement. Last year President Paul Kagame, in power for a quarter of a century, won re-election after securing 99.18% of the vote, according to the electoral body. Western and regional leaders have praised Kagame for transforming Rwanda from the ruins of the 1994 genocide into a thriving economy. Rights groups have accused him of abuses and of supporting rebels in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, accusations that he denies. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
