Travis Kalanick likely wants to stay out of South Korea for the time being, as the country indicted the CEO of Uber for trying to operate there.
Legislators in Seoul passed a law just last week to fine any Uber drivers not registered as taxi drivers, and this indictment says Uber violated transportation laws banning rental car services from operating as public transport.
The indictment has to be seen as a significant blow for the ambitious and aggressive company, which has made it clear Asia is one of its top priorities for expansion.
But last August, Uber’s head of Asia operations told reporters the company believed it was operating legally and called South Korea’s laws outdated — given they were written before smartphones and wireless technology.
Uber has riled taxi drivers, competing businesses and governments worldwide causing protests and even demonstrations like Parisian taxi drivers blocking roads with their cars.
And it seems Kalanick leads the charge when it comes to the company’s culture to flaunt established business practices and press forward no matter the pushback.
“Don’t be a d***. You don’t need the 10 percent. Do you take the 10 percent?” “We take 20 percent.”
As for the indictment in South Korea, the company told Bloomberg it will cooperate with the investigation.
This video includes images from Getty Images and music from Broke For Free / CC BY 3.0.
