Lee Jae-woong "Give Young People Opportunities to Dream of Innovation"

Emphasizing Differentiation from Taxis by Citing Examples like Netflix, YouTube, and Uber

Lee Jae-woong (right), CEO of Socar, and Park Jae-wook, CEO of VCNC, are entering the courtroom to attend the first trial sentencing hearing disputing the illegality of 'Tada' at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 10th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jin-gyu Lee] Lee Jae-woong, CEO of Socar, who was sentenced to one year in prison for illegally operating the van-hailing service 'Tada,' claimed innocence, asking to "open opportunities so that young people can dream of innovation."

At the sentencing hearing held on the 10th, Lee appealed to the court, saying, "I would appreciate it if you could take another look at the legal, institutional, and technological foundations of the Tada service, rather than focusing on the economic similarity with taxis." To explain the distinction between Tada and taxis, he cited examples such as Netflix, YouTube, and Uber. Lee explained, "With technological advancements giving rise to new industries, the economic effects of watching broadcasts through cable TV, satellite broadcasting, or platforms like Netflix and YouTube are similar, but the actual legal, institutional, and technological foundations provided are completely different."

He also emphasized that Tada created new value by contributing to job creation. He stated, "Tada, as explicitly stated in the law, provides rental car-based driver dispatch services only for 11-seater vans, people over 65 years old, and the disabled, and has been loved by more than 1.6 million users so far, creating new jobs for 12,000 drivers. We created a mobility service based on rental cars, specifically car-sharing, which is different from taxis."

He expressed regret over the comprehensive negative regulation policy. He said, "The president and the government have repeatedly declared a comprehensive negative policy that allows everything not explicitly prohibited by law," but added, "I feel sorry that a service created based only on what is explicitly permitted by law has ended up in court." Furthermore, he pointed out, "If more young people are to dream of innovation, and if even operating a business according to the law means standing trial, no one will dream of or attempt innovation."

He told the court, "I have a belief that technology can make society better and that startups can change the future," and reiterated his innocence, saying, "The reason I invest in and support young entrepreneurs is because I believe they can change the world for the better."

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