Police charges Uber CEO with operating illegal taxi service in South Korea

Seoul police has reportedly charged 30 people linked to Uber's operation in South Korea, including its CEO Travis Kalanick, on suspicion of operating illegal taxi services in the country.

The list of those charged also includes Uber Korea's brand manager, the heads of six different car rental companies, and a number of drivers, reported The Verge.

The people are suspected of connecting passengers with nearby drivers through the UberTaxi app without a license.

This is the second time Kalanick has been charged since last year. He was indicted without physical detention in December last year for operating an illegal taxi service in the country.

The Uber boss has so far refused to enter Korea to stand trial. However, a police official said that if he continued to refuse then the police may seek an arrest warrant against him.

An Uber South Korea spokesperson said that the firm was cooperating with the police fully but denied any wrongdoing.

Police said that the taxi-hailing service does not screen its drivers or insure its cabs, thereby posing a risk to its users. Seoul city officials announced plans to ban the service in July last year.