"Where Did the 70 Billion Won Go?"... Yeosu City Criticized for Blaming Taxi Drivers for Rumors

Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, is facing controversy after sending an official document that appeared to point to taxi drivers as the source of malicious criticism regarding the 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo.

Yeosu City recently sent an official document titled "Request for Education on Prohibiting Taxi Drivers from Spreading Rumors Regarding the 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo" to local taxi companies.

In the document, the city stated, "There is public sentiment that drivers are spreading rumors about insufficient preparations for the island expo," adding, "We judge that dissatisfaction among drivers regarding decreased revenues may be manifesting as rumor-spreading behavior."

Comparing per-capita revenues over a nine-day period from the first weekend to the second weekend of September last year and this September, the city claimed, "While no revenue decline has been observed, we believe that the failure to see a noticeable increase in revenue compared to expectations for a seasonal boom could lead to dissatisfaction."

The city also requested that companies educate their transport workers to refrain from spreading rumors and instead promote the event's goals and purpose, noting that revenues would increase once the island expo succeeds.

The taxi industry immediately pushed back against the official document, which appeared to paint taxi drivers as rumor-mongers.

They argued that the city singled out taxi drivers as rumor spreaders without clear grounds, treating them as if they were maliciously circulating rumors due to dissatisfaction with their earnings.

An official from a taxi company stated, "Instead of trying to tarnish an international event held in our hometown by making up things that aren't true and telling passengers, why would we do that?" adding, "It is regrettable that there is a perception portraying taxi drivers as people who spread malicious rumors just because they aren't making much money."

Recently, criticisms surrounding the Yeosu World Island Expo have continued online, with issues raised on social media and other platforms regarding methods such as using trucks to reenact traditional boat songs and the poor quality of soy sauce-marinated crab set meals at the main venue's cafeteria.

As the controversy grew, Yeosu City released an official statement saying, "We will accept constructive criticism, but we will respond firmly to acts such as capturing citizens' faces without permission to mock or insult them."

Reported by Jung Da-eun | Video by Lee Yu-jin | Design by Lee Jeong-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.