Will the Impregnable '25-Year Fortress' Fall?… Crisis in Corporate Taxis, New Leader Election Approaching

Park Bok-gyu Builds Legacy as 9th Consecutive Union President

Busan Association's 3-Term Chairman Jang Seong-ho Announces First Candidacy

Candidate Accusation Three Days Before, Internal Conflict Foreseen

The nationwide corporate taxi industry is abuzz as the upcoming head election approaches, with speculation on whether a first-time challenger can break a 25-year reign.

Three days before the nationwide federation president election, one of the candidates has been plunged into further chaos after being accused of embezzlement in the course of duty by two taxi company representatives.

According to the corporate taxi industry, on the 4th, a taxi company representative from the Jinju and Jinhae areas in Gyeongnam filed a complaint with the police against the current nationwide taxi transportation business association president, Park Bok-gyu, and an accounting staff member, alleging the use of corporate vehicles for personal purposes on holidays.

The election will be held on the 7th, but regardless of the outcome, internal strife is expected to deepen in the already shrinking corporate taxi industry.

In this 30th nationwide taxi transportation business association president election, the current president Park Bok-gyu, who has been in office for 25 years, is being challenged by Jang Seong-ho, chairman of the Busan Taxi Transportation Business Association.

President Park has served as president for nine terms over 25 years, succeeding the remaining term of the 21st federation president in 1999.

There are two candidates in this election, and a total of 17 votes will be cast anonymously by 16 regional association chairpersons nationwide and one federation president. A candidate who obtains a majority of at least nine votes will serve a three-year term.

To break the fortress built by President Park, who has led the nationwide taxi business association for 25 years, Chairman Jang of the Busan association, making his first challenge, has secured endorsements from city and provincial association chairpersons with voting rights from Seoul, Daegu, Daejeon, Chungbuk, and Gyeongnam.

They stated, “Currently, many corporate taxi companies are on the path of collapse, facing bankruptcy and suspension of operations with no clear future,” and criticized, “The current president, who should be responsible for this situation after a long-term rule of 25 years, is brazenly running for re-election.”

They also pointed out, “The current president is the very person who pushed corporate taxis to the brink by failing to respond to government policies focused on individual taxis, such as the taxi restriction lift last year and the individual taxi transfer system in 2021, and now seeks to extend his term again.”

Taxi fares have not properly reflected inflation for decades, and during the COVID-19 period, many taxi drivers left for other industries, causing a sharp drop in the operation rate of company taxis. On top of that, the government lifted operational restrictions on individual taxis, worsening the management difficulties for company taxis, according to the taxi industry.

Previously, individual taxi operation was permitted only to taxi drivers with more than three years of accident-free experience, but now anyone with a license can purchase an individual taxi, leading corporate taxi workers with relatively lower income and those holding general licenses to shift toward individual taxis.

Jang Seong-ho, chairman of the Busan association and a candidate in the federation president election, stated his motivation for running: “Despite several warning signs in the corporate taxi industry over the past few years, the current federation leadership has done nothing but stand by, so I cannot entrust the future of company taxis to them.”

Chairman Jang delivered a direct blow, saying, “Taxi companies nationwide have closed or are on the brink of closure, with one taxi company representative in Seoul even resorting to extreme measures this year. We cannot help but hold President Park Bok-gyu responsible for the current situation.”

Jang Seong-ho, recently elected for a third term as Busan association chairman, targeted Park in his candidacy declaration titled “For a New Beginning of the Taxi Industry,” saying, “An unreasonable reality where an absolute monarchy-like ruler reigns continues.”

He also opened fire by stating, “There have been numerous cases uncovered by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport audits involving improper budget execution by the taxi federation and mutual aid association, hiring of relatives under the guise of public recruitment within the federation’s mutual aid association, and other irregularities and corruption.”

Candidate Jang pledged, “I will dismantle the one-man kingdom and change recruitment for the federation and its affiliated organizations to open public recruitment,” and “I will also reveal other suspicions such as President Park’s employment irregularities and misuse of funds.”

He appealed, “President Park, who should develop and innovate the taxi industry, already owns four bus companies, making it difficult to expect change and reform in our declining taxi industry.”

Jang Seong-ho said, “This election will be a critical turning point deciding the future of the taxi industry,” and “I will work with about 1,650 taxi operators to shift taxi license policies to focus on corporate taxis and diversify working styles such as lease and part-time systems.”

President Park Bok-gyu has been re-elected nine times over 25 years since taking over the remaining term of the 21st president in 1999. Few have dared to challenge the fortress he built.

Three years ago, in the 29th election, Park was elected unopposed, and in the 28th election, a general taxi company representative challenged him but he was unanimously re-elected. He was also elected unopposed in the 27th election.

Park’s camp has remained tight-lipped when reporters tried to hear his stance on running, as if being cautious.

Among the 17 votes held by nationwide city and provincial association chairpersons with the right to elect the federation president, only one vote from Chairman Jang and five votes from his endorsers are confirmed, totaling six votes. To overturn the situation, Jang must secure at least three of the remaining 11 votes. Park’s camp is reportedly focusing on preventing defections by leveraging their long experience in federation management.

A taxi industry insider said, “It’s as if some parts of the iron fortress are loosening, but it remains to be seen whether the fortress, built as impregnable over the past 25 years, will fall this time or be defended again.”

Taxis waiting for passengers.

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