A taxi driver in the Philippines has been suspended after allegedly attempting to overcharge K-pop star Soobin.
The matter came to light last week after the singer’s TXT group posted a vlog on YouTube titled “Soobin’s super fun and super tiring vacation” in which he documented a recent trip to Cebu.
Soobin, whose real name is Choi Soo Bin, is the leader of TXT, the five-member group formed by Big Hit Music in 2019 as the company’s first act after BTS. TXT have built a steady international fanbase since debuting in 2019 and their 2023 EP titled The Name Chapter: Temptation debuted at No 1 on Billboard 200.
After arriving in Cebu, Soobin says in the vlog that he has looked up the fare from the city airport to his accommodation and it should be around 300 Philippine pesos (£3.76).
The popstar and his friend head to the airport taxi stand, where a driver quotes a fare of 500 pesos (£6.27). “I am filming all this, you know,” Soobin says into the camera as he and his friend joke about the higher fare.
Soobin says he has asked bandmate Taehyun, who previously travelled to Cebu, for advice and has been told to “just start acting angry” if someone tries to overcharge him.
In the cab, the driver claims that “gas is very expensive” and that’s the reason for the high fare. During the journey, the driver hikes the fare again to 1,000 pesos (£12.5).
“Did you hear that? I’m reporting this. You heard that, right?” Soobin asks viewers. “I mean, P500 is already pushing it, and then he raises it to P1000.”
soobin genuinely crashing out in the car because the driver tried to scam them and overcharge the price they agreed to but he was firm and strict about it. he even said NOT to edit this part about 😭😭😭 im glad he’s sharing awareness and tips on cab advice thankyou soobin pic.twitter.com/73CTaPOPnB
— christine ✮ (@csbshots) April 1, 2026
Soobin and his friend ultimately refuse to pay the higher fare and settle on 500 pesos. After exiting the taxi, Soobin alleges that the driver just tried to hike the price again. “Once we arrived the driver tried to charge us 1,000 pesos again but we told him firmly that we were only going to pay 500. I can’t believe he’d raise the price so suddenly like that. We agreed on PHP500 before getting in.”
The video quickly spread online, drawing criticism from Filipino commenters who apologised for the driver.
Philippine authorities moved swiftly. On Friday, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board issued a show cause notice to the taxi operator, saying Soobin had been “victimised by alleged flagrant violations of overcharging and deliberate non-use of the taxi meter”, according to ABS-CBN News.
The agency ordered the operator to submit a written explanation within five days and warned that disciplinary action could include suspension or cancellation of its Certificate of Public Convenience franchise.
The board also imposed a 30-day preventive suspension on the taxi involved in the incident and ordered the operator to surrender the vehicle’s licence plate and the driver’s licence.
“This is a serious offense especially that this incident puts the name of our country in bad light in the international community,” the board’s chairperson Atty Vigor D Mendoza II said in a statement. “The viral video itself is already strong evidence.”
He added that the violation constituted a breach of the board’s rules and the terms of the operator’s franchise, according to Daily Tribune.
The regulator also found in its initial investigation that the driver had failed to use the fare meter.
It’s now considering additional penalties, including criminal charges, licence revocation, and vehicle seizure, depending on the outcome of the investigation, reported Chosun Biz.
Mendoza said that criminal charges could be pursued against both the driver and the operator for alleged violations of the Public Service Act or fraud. “Enough is enough. If they do not want to stop, starting today, we will also be filing a criminal case against the driver and operator. The vehicle will also be impounded, pending trial,” he said.
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