Korea has two major types of taxis: regular and
mobeom (deluxe), although generally only larger cities have
mobeom taxis. You can hail these taxis on the street or find them at taxis stands.
(Major transportation hubs such as airports and bus and train stations often have several
dozen taxis lined up waiting for passengers.) Many areas also have call
taxis that will come and pick you up when you call them, for an added charge. Several
U.S. military installations also have their own taxi service (AAFES).
Metered fares are based on taxi type, distance traveled, and various surcharges for time of
day or heavy traffic. Passengers are also responsible for any tolls incurred. In the
countryside, you will often have to negotiate the price before you start, but within city
limits the meter should always be used. Tipping is not a normal custom, unless the driver
performs some extra duty like handling your bags.
Although the number of drivers who can speak foreign languages is increasing, do not count
on drivers being fluent in English (with the exception of the special
Goodwill Guide Taxi drivers). If you can not speak Korean well, have
a Korean write down your destination in Hangul and show it to the driver.
To flag down a taxi off the street, hold your arm out horizontally and wave your hand in a
downward manner. Drivers will often slow down and roll down the passenger side window.
In this case you are expected to shout your destination at the taxi driver and he will
decide whether or not he wants to pick you up. In other cases, the taxi will just drive up
to you and you can get in.
Hapseung ("taxi sharing") is a practice where drivers stop and pick up
additional passengers heading in the same direction. The original passenger pays the
metered amount, while the later passengers pay the metered fare minus the fare when they
entered the taxi. Technically illegal, despite periodic crackdowns by the police, the
practice still persists. Since only the original passenger's fare is recorded on the meter,
the driver gets to pocket the money from the other passengers. During rush hour, it can be
difficult to find an empty taxi, so the passengers also benefit. In general, the driver
should ask the first passenger's permission before stopping for other fares.
Mobeom taxis do not practice hapseung.
NOTE: Prices are for Seoul. Although many cities follow Seoul's pricing,
some do not.
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These medium-sized white or silver taxis are the most common in Korea. The fare starts at
