Uber Tries to Ease South Korean Concerns

SEOUL, South Korea — Uber, the ride-hailing service, said on Wednesday that it was asking the South Korean government to register Uber drivers so that it could overcome legal challenges here and continue to connect passengers to private cars through smartphones.

As Mr. Plouffe unveiled the proposal in a Seoul hotel, dozens of local taxi drivers rallied outside, waving banners. “Uber, stop trying and just leave Korea!” one of them said. Uber has services in more than 250 cities around the world. Existing taxi and limousine services consider it a competitor.

The New York Times