"Going to the National Assembly"... Taxi Drivers Cancel Payments and Turn Off Meters After Hearing Destination

by Koo Nari

Published 08 Dec.2024 15:39(KST)

Stories of Taxi Drivers Who Didn't Collect Fare Continue

On the 7th, a large-scale rally calling for the resignation of President Yoon Seok-yeol was held in front of the National Assembly, and stories of taxi drivers who did not accept taxi fares from citizens attending the rally attracted attention one after another.

On the 7th, as a large crowd gathered in the Yeouido area demanding the impeachment of President Yoon Seok-yeol, the road in front of the National Assembly was completely closed to vehicle traffic. Amid this, taxi drivers did not charge fares to citizens attending the rally, with posts verifying this spreading online. Screenshot from X (formerly Twitter)

On the 7th, X (formerly Twitter) user A shared, "The driver dropped me off in front of the National Assembly and canceled the payment two minutes later," along with a receipt showing the cancellation of the taxi fare. The shared photo showed that the entire payment of 23,500 won made by A was canceled.

Another netizen B shared a similar story. He said, "When I told the taxi driver I was going to Yeouido, he turned off the meter halfway and drove quickly, so I arrived 15 minutes early despite the traffic," adding, "When I got off, he gave me a few masks and cheered me on. It warmed my heart."

Author Cheon Seon-ran, who wrote the book A Thousand Blues, also shared that she attended the rally that day and experienced a similar incident. On her Instagram, Cheon wrote, "I was taking a taxi to Yeouido, and the driver said he was also going to Yeouido soon, so I gave him one of our LED candles," adding, "Then he turned off the meter and said he wouldn’t accept the fare. He said, 'Think of it as going on a trip, like a little outing.'"

Author Cheon Seon-ran, who published the book 'A Thousand Blues,' shared an anecdote with a taxi driver on her Instagram. Screenshot of Cheon Seon-ran's Instagram

On that day, a massive crowd gathered around Yeouido, causing the subway to pass through stations without stopping and the roads in front of the National Assembly to be completely closed to vehicle traffic. Perhaps because of this, many posts sharing stories about taxi rides and interactions with taxi drivers appeared.

On social media, one person wrote, "Taxis were so hard to catch that I set a nearby store as the destination, but when the driver saw I was heading toward Yeouido, he asked if I was going to the National Assembly, then turned off the meter and took me all the way there. I was his last passenger, and he said he was also coming with his family."

Other posts included, "Citizens are so kind," "Taxis were so scarce that when I asked a driver if he was going to the National Assembly, he said he couldn’t go all the way but would drop me off nearby. He apologized for only sending the students," and "While taking a taxi to the National Assembly, the driver said, 'Thank you for doing what the older generation can’t; the young people are doing it for us,' then turned off the meter and refused the fare. I almost cried before arriving at the National Assembly."

On the 7th, when the impeachment vote against President Yoon Seok-yeol was underway, citizens gathered toward the National Assembly in Yeouido Park, Seoul, to participate in the rally urging President Yoon Seok-yeol's impeachment. Photo by Heo Young-han

Netizens who read these posts responded with comments such as, "Evil is obvious, but goodness is so diverse," "Everyone is doing their best to support from their own positions," "We all share the same heart right now," and "This is the true power of the people."

Earlier, as of 4:30 p.m. on the 7th, the rally held around Yeouido in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, drew an estimated one million people according to the organizers and 100,000 according to the police. Meanwhile, an anonymous vote on the impeachment motion against President Yoon was held at the National Assembly, with 195 lawmakers participating. The motion was automatically dismissed as the quorum of 200 was not met, resulting in the vote being invalid.