Lee Jae-woong, on President Moon's remarks: "Last year Seoul taxis achieved record-high sales"

[Asia Economy Reporter Bu Aeri] President Moon Jae-in mentioned the van-hailing service 'Tada' during the New Year's press conference, while Lee Jae-woong, CEO of Socar, called for policies based on objective data.

On the 15th, Lee stated on his Facebook, "As a result of filing an information disclosure request, Seoul's private taxis recorded their highest-ever monthly sales of about 174 billion won in December last year," adding, "In 2018, when the taxi industry claimed difficulties due to carpooling, and in 2019, when they claimed damages caused by Tada, Seoul taxi sales steadily grew."

Lee argued, "If Tada is integrated into the taxi license system, it will not only fail to pioneer a new market but also cause significant damage to existing taxis."

He continued, "Policies that forcibly incorporate the mobility industry into a failed taxi policy?where billions of won in subsidies are invested annually but users, drivers, and operators are all unhappy?do not benefit the mobility industry, taxis, or the public," emphasizing, "Socar and Tada aim to replace the car ownership market with shared infrastructure, and Tada alone can create a meaningful market separate from the taxi market simply by sharing chauffeur services."

Lee also warned, "There should be no opposition to new industries on the grounds that they are not earning more profits despite not suffering damages."

He added, "As President Moon said, taxis, which already have their profits maximally guaranteed, should innovate to generate more profits, and Tada should pioneer new markets while embracing transportation-vulnerable groups so that the overall public convenience increases."

At the New Year's press conference held at the Blue House the day before, President Moon said, "Our government is accelerating regulatory innovation faster than any other country in the world," and added, "We have yet to resolve issues causing conflicts between old and new industries, such as the 'Tada' issue." He further stated, "There is a need to establish social compromise bodies on a case-by-case basis," and promised, "We will ensure the maximum protection of existing taxi drivers' interests while allowing innovative businesses like Tada to enter the market."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.