SEOUL: South Korean taxi drivers announced they will hold strikes nationwide Thursday to stage a protest against a newly launched carpool service.
Members of the nation’s major taxi unions will hold a massive demonstration in front of the National Assembly hall on Thursday in Seoul to oppose the new ride-sharing service launched by Kakao Corp, one of South Korea’s largest Internet companies, according to South Korea media reports.
Taxis won’t operate across the country, including Jeju Island, said Kang Shin-pyo, head of a taxi union association, at a news conference Wednesday. As we plan to stage more protests and we could halt service in the future, he said.
Last week, taxi organizations announced a plan to hold a massive protest, a day after a Seoul taxi driver set himself on fire near the National Assembly hall in Seoul to protest the new ride-sharing service. He left a note, saying drivers should fight to the end to stop the carpool service and died at a hospital, added.
Taxi unions expect more than 100,000 taxi drivers will participate in a third protest tomorrow. Some 70,000 gathered in the first protest in October and more than 40,000 to the second one, according to Yonhap News.