"Taxi fare suddenly doubled" — K-pop idol overcharged in the Philippines, prompting government response

[The Financial News] A single video posted by a member of a popular Korean idol group has sparked a major stir in the Philippines. The clip clearly shows a local taxi driver overcharging the singer. As the controversy grew, the Government of the Philippines stepped in.
Recently, the official YouTube channel of Tomorrow X Together (TXT) uploaded a vacation vlog featuring Soobin.
Traveling with a friend to the resort city of Cebu City in the Philippines, Soobin took a taxi to get to their hotel.
Before getting in, he had checked in advance that the ride should cost around 300 pesos (about 7,500 won).
After the two got into the taxi, the driver initially asked for 500 pesos. While they were on the way, he suddenly raised the price again, demanding 1,000 pesos.
When Soobin’s group protested that the fare was too expensive, the driver replied, "This car uses expensive gas, so the fare is higher."
After a back-and-forth, they finally bargained the fare down to 500 pesos. Speaking to the camera, Soobin said angrily, "Did you hear that? I’m going to report this. Even 500 pesos is more than I should have paid. He tried to charge 1,000 pesos for this ride."
Once he arrived at the hotel, Soobin added, "Right before I got out of the taxi, he again told me to pay 1,000, so I firmly insisted I would only pay 500 pesos and left."
Filipino fans who watched the video wrote comments apologizing on behalf of their country, saying, "We sincerely apologize," and, "Scamming foreigners must never be treated as normal."
Local media outlets also covered the incident one after another, and the Government of the Philippines eventually took action.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), under the Department of Transportation of the Philippines, called it "a serious violation that damages the country’s image" and suspended the taxi driver’s license to operate for 30 days.
The agency added that the driver "failed to use the meter and demanded an excessive fare," and stated that it is "also considering criminal charges."

gaa1003@fnnews.com Ahn Gaeul Reporter