A South Korean taxi driver with a track record of returning lost valuables to customers found and returned more than $100,000. File Photo by Yonhap/EPA-EFE

Oct. 29 (UPI) -- A South Korean taxi driver returned more than $100,000 to a customer who left the money in a cab last week.

Lee Jun-young, 60, a Seoul-based cab driver, found the cash in the back seat of his taxi around 4:20 a.m. on Oct. 21, Yonhap reported Tuesday.


According to the Seoul chapter of the National Taxi Association and the Dobong district police station in Seoul, the cash and checks were found in a portable bag.

Lee discovered a mobile phone, and about $86,000 in cash. Another $17,000, in the form of checks, was found inside the bag.

As Lee was going through the bag, the phone rang. The call was from a local police station, where the customer had reported his missing bag and cash.

Lee drove to the police station, where he returned the cash to the customer, who was waiting at the location. The call and return of the bag took place in about 10 minutes, according to the police.

The taxi driver said he has previously returned large sums of money left behind by clients.

"There have been many instances of returning lost belongings to passengers," Lee said. "But the maximum amount I had returned was $3,400."

According to the National Taxi Association, Lee began working as a driver in 2015. The group said the mayor of Seoul has previously recognized Lee for his integrity, and for returning countless lost items, including mobile phones.

The group and other taxi unions have been increasingly vocal about protecting their businesses, as ride-sharing services like Uber try to edge into the transportation market.

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News 1 and other local news services reported Tuesday local ride-sharing apps Tada and Socar are being charged with violating law.

South Korean regulations ban non-professionals from becoming drivers for ride-sharing services. Taxi drivers and registered professionals are allowed, however.