Uber Taxi's Ambitious Bid for Passenger Choice and Driver Opportunity

Global mobility platform Uber Taxi announced a strategy to accelerate its expansion in Korea by debuting its subscription membership 'Uber One' and a service exclusively for teenagers in the domestic market. Uber plans to achieve two goals simultaneously: securing passengers and fostering co-prosperity with drivers. At a press conference held in Seoul on the 26th, Uber Taxi unveiled the 'Uber One' membership, available for a monthly subscription fee of 4,900 won, and the 'Uber Teen Account' service, scheduled for launch on the 29th. Additionally, they announced that they would maintain the industry's lowest commission rate of 2.5% for drivers and provide new opportunities for income generation. Dominic Taylor, Uber Mobility's Regional General Manager for Asia Pacific, emphasized on the day that "Korea is one of Uber's core markets," explaining that the number of Uber Taxi trips in Korea has been experiencing double-digit growth annually. Song Jin-woo, General Manager of Uber Taxi Korea, added that the "virtuous cycle" of increased taxi availability leading to higher dispatch success rates and more passenger calls is key to growth. In the first half of the year, services such as the launch of 'General Taxi XL' for passengers with significant luggage and expanded airport taxi benefits were introduced. The 'Uber One' membership offers up to 10% credit accumulation benefits when using Uber Taxi. Uber Taxi affiliated products earn 10%, while general/premium/green products earn 5%. Premium benefits, such as priority dispatch for highly-rated drivers, are also included, along with discount benefits for annual payments and a 1-month free trial for new subscribers. The 'Uber Teen Account' service reflects the increasing demand for childcare due to the rise in dual-income households. When a teenager hails a taxi, only the highest-rated drivers are dispatched, and parents can monitor their child's travel route in real-time and set monthly or per-ride spending limits. General Manager Song Jin-woo emphasized that the "PIN verification system," exclusively offered by Uber Taxi in Korea, is a differentiated safety feature that allows passengers to confirm they are boarding the correct vehicle. This service is set to launch in 8 regions, including Seoul and Incheon, and will be expanded nationwide. Uber Taxi reiterated its emphasis on being a "driver-centric platform," promising to maintain the 2.5% commission rate and improve the convenience of the driver-specific app. They also announced that they would provide drivers with opportunities to generate additional income by attaching advertisements to their vehicles, leveraging Uber Taxi's branding effects through vehicle wrapping. General Manager Song Jin-woo explained that the core strategy is "localizing globally proven services to fit the Korean market environment and regulations," and expressed his ambition to create "a turning point for a further leap forward" in the Korean market in the second half of the year, by providing passengers with diverse options and drivers with new income-generating opportunities.