Setback for Uber as South Korea Bans Private Taxis
In a largely symbolic move that appears to be aimed directly at Uber's cheap UberX service, South Korea passed legislation on Friday banning unlicensed drivers from providing taxi services  becoming the first country to institute a nationwide prohibition of the practice. According to Reuters, the bill is a blanket ban on private taxi services but lawmakers who pushed the bill did so citing UberX, a service that matches commuters with individuals using their personal cars as a taxi. Uber already pulled UberX out of Seoul in March because of backlash from the taxi industry and local authorities. But the company still maintains a presence via UberTaxi matching passengers with licensed drivers and UberBLACK which can be used by the disabled, elderly and foreigners. Reuters