A taxi driver who was convicted of sexually harassing a 15-year-old passenger has had his taxi operating license revoked. Despite appealing the decision, the court upheld the revocation.
On October 28, legal sources reported that the Suwon Administrative Court dismissed the lawsuit filed by the driver, identified as A, against the city of Ansan, challenging the cancellation of his taxi operating license.
In November 2022, A was charged with making inappropriate comments to a 15-year-old girl, referred to as B, who was a passenger in his taxi, asking about her sexual experience and suggesting a conditional meeting.
The first trial found A guilty of violating child welfare laws, sentencing him to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years. This ruling was confirmed by the Supreme Court the following year.
Following the conviction, the city of Ansan revoked A's taxi driver qualifications and his taxi operating license in accordance with the Passenger Transport Business Act. A argued that the revocation was excessive, citing significant medical expenses due to his spouse's illness and that driving a taxi was his only source of income.
He also contended that revoking only his taxi driver qualifications would sufficiently protect passenger safety and public interest, claiming that the disadvantages he faced from the revocation were disproportionately large compared to the public benefit.
However, the court rejected A's arguments.
The judges noted that taxi drivers often interact one-on-one with passengers in enclosed spaces, creating a high public interest in excluding individuals who have committed certain crimes from the profession. They pointed out that the victim was helpless during the 30-minute taxi ride, subjected to A's actions.
Considering the nature of A's comments, the court stated that the sexual humiliation and embarrassment experienced by the 15-year-old victim were likely significant. They concluded that the severity of A's violations warranted the revocation of his license, affirming that the city's decision was justified.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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