World Scene: South Korea

Okay to watch TV and drive

A South Korean court rejected an attempt to prosecute Seoul taxi drivers for one of their scariest habits - watching television while driving.

The Seoul Administrative Court on Sunday ordered a district office in the capital to cancel a fine of 600,000 won ($507) imposed on a cabbie. The city government last year passed a local ordinance banning the use of digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) systems while driving. But the court ruled that the ordinance, which allows local authorities to regulate public transport, is illegal because it is based on a 1961 law that was later superseded. Some Seoul taxi drivers convert dashboard screens used for global positioning systems so they can receive TV programs. The number of DMB users soared to 17.25 million by the end of 2008.

(China Daily 11/03/2009 page10)