Police in Seoul's Seongbuk district arrested seven individuals for running an illegal driving training business that marketed lessons at prices significantly lower than the market average. From November 2024 to January of this year, these operators had not registered as a licensed driving school and had attracted students nationwide by advertising low-cost training sessions. They managed to conduct approximately 3,200 illegal lessons and amassed around 780 million won in revenue, using multiple fictitious bank accounts and phones to evade detection by law enforcement.

Investigators revealed that these illegal operators employed instructors lacking the proper certification and utilized training vehicles that were devoid of essential safety equipment, significantly compromising the safety of the driving students. Furthermore, their actions were damaging to legitimate driving schools that operate under the correct regulations. This situation raises concerns over public safety in driving instruction and the potential economic impact on registered schools, as they faced unfair competition from illegal operators.

Despite the serious violations, police clarified that they would not penalize the students who participated in these unlawful training sessions. The students, often unaware of the illegal status of the program, were primarily tempted by the enticingly low cost of lessons, which led them to overlook the legitimacy of the training provider. This case underscores the need for enhanced regulatory oversight in the driving education sector to protect both students and lawful businesses from fraudulent schemes of this nature.