Here’s a collection of quotes from the Korean series, Taxi Driver (2021):
On society, justice, and revenge
“Do you know why your mother passed away? Because of that crazy murderer? No. It’s because this society cultivated a monster like him with cheap mercy.” – Mr. Jang
- “I won’t succumb to evil and use my own methods to win. I’ll collect all the garbage around us and quarantine them from the rest of the world forever. I’m going to reform them.” – Mr. Jang
- “When I tried to get help, their bullying became even worse.” – Park Jungmin
- “In this case, the victim and the perpetrators are all minors. However, their youth does not make the weight of their crimes any lighter.” – Mr. Jang
“My daughter is no longer with us but those scumbags will live just fine as if nothing ever happened. How is this fair?” – Hojung’s mom
- “They all disappeared without a trace. Even when they run away, they always leave behind a trace.” – Prosecutor Kang
- “Whenever you feel you can’t understand why this is happening and get so angry that you want to cry, just think about all the kids that you bullied. That’s exactly how you made them feel.” – Kim Doki
- “When drums beat, laws are silent. In a reality where the law is far and power is close, asking a victim who’s in trouble to wait until the law comes to resolve their problem lacks logic.” – Prosecutor Kang
- “No matter how you put it, you’re no different than the criminals you despise.” – Prosecutor Kang
“That is why people like me scoff at the law. Although you have a sure suspect and the circumstances are clear, we know that without evidence, you can’t catch us.” – Kim Doki
“That’s because we don’t want anyone to be wrongfully accused. Even if that means letting go of 100 criminals.” – Prosecutor Kang
“Then what about those who got hurt by those 100 criminals?” – Kim Doki
“If the world is full of people like you, it would become a lawless world.” – Prosecutor Kang
“Isn’t it already a lawless world? That’s why there are people like me.” – Kim Doki
“I like the law. Especially, innocent until proven guilty. Even if we lose 100 guilty criminals, we must not punish a single innocent person.” – Mr. Wang
“Why do you like that?” – Prosecutor Kang
“Because it’s humane.” – Mr. Wang
- “Did he die while bringing justice? While he was catching a bad guy? He died doing a good deed so he’ll meet much better parents in his next life and live comfortably.” – Mr. Wang’s family
- “If my way doesn’t work, I’ll go with your way. Get revenge.” – Prosecutor Kang
- “You’re someone who puts the victims first. I will show you how the law will convict someone with a sentence that everyone can accept.” – Prosecutor Kang
“We lost our families to crimes. Do you know what that means? It means we must live the rest of our lives trapped inside the flames of rage.” – Mr. Jang
- “The police are useless as the statute of limitations has expired. The law can’t help me right the wrong.” – Mr. Kim
- “They didn’t care whether or not I did it. They just needed a puppet who would become the killer. They tortured me and forced me to confess it. No one even listened to me. My wife took my daughter and left me.” – Mr. Kim
- “Now they say that I’m not the killer. But apparently, they can’t punish anyone for it. Not the detective who tortured me to get a fake confession, the prosecutor who ignored everything I said, or even the real killer they just found. Who will compensate me for the years that I lost?” – Mr. Kim
“If you clear your name, you can return to your family. If you get revenge, you may end up becoming a criminal again.” – Kim Doki
- “Isn’t life ironic? The real culprit shows up the moment you gave up on getting your revenge.” – Mr. Jang
- “Your revenge doesn’t end with ruining the life of your enemy. When you live your life all on your own as yourself, that’s when revenge is completed.” – Mr. Jang
- “Even if you lose 100 guilty criminals, don’t punish a single innocent person. The victims of those 100 criminals. You protected them. Although it meant breaking the law.” – Prosecutor Kang
“If you don’t arrest me, you’ll be breaching your duty.” – Kim Doki
“I’ll deal with it. Because I think you’re worth it, Mr. Kim.” – Prosecutor Kang
“I know that the law isn’t perfect. Thank you for protecting those we’d missed because of those loopholes.” – Prosecutor Kang
“Just stick it out no matter what. If a prosecutor like you quits, it’ll be the bad guys who will rejoice.” – Mr. Wang
On life and humanity
“Only those who have been through the pain you’re going through know what it’s like. Those who never had to suffer don’t even care.” – Mr. Jang
- “I wonder if they know how I feel. If they knew, they couldn’t do this. I want them to exactly feel what I’m feeling. To see how miserable it is.” – Park Jungmin
- “To some, this could be a trivial story from their school days, but for others, it may be a matter of life or death.” – Mr. Jang
- “You see, people like us can’t give up on life just because we want to. Do you know why? Because of our beloved families.” – Mr. Jang
- “When I’m holding your hand, nothing feels heavy. Because you lift me up, my son.” – Jungmin’s mom
- “You can’t bring yourself to jump, so why do you push people off?” – Kim Doki
“You’ll learn many things in life but never forget this. There’s no such thing as a free taxi ride. Especially deluxe taxis.” – Kim Doki
- “I hope that each painful payment you make will only make you stronger.” – Kim Doki
- “We have to share what’s in our hearts in order to overcome this. Let us remember to be a support for one another.” – Counselor
- “The emptiness hits harder on good days.” – An Goeun
- “Did you know sisters fight way more often than brothers do?” – An Goeun
“If you want to stay here for a long time, you cannot be broken. Bamboo trees are too upright, so it breaks with a gust of wind. But no matter how windy it is, the grass always gets back up. You could act upright like the bamboo, but you need to get back up like the grass.” – Mr. Wang
- “She had no choice but to hide herself, but she’s putting up a fight against herself to come out again. Let’s trust her and wait.” – Mr. Jang
- “Only garbage belongs in a garbage can. Don’t throw the wrong things out.” – Kim Doki
“Every choice we make comes with a price.” – Mr. Jang
- “Perhaps what enables reform is the fear of the inhumane treatment you will receive. It might be possible because of that fear. However, can we truly call it reformation?” – Mr. Jang
- “A choice comes with responsibilities.” – Kim Doki
- “We aren’t little kids. Let’s each take responsibility for what we did.” – An Goeun
- “People who lose a family member live their life with a bomb inside of their hearts.” – Mr. Jang
- “Life would’ve been easier if our fathers had been around.” – Dong Chan / Hyun Soo
“Some of you are going back to where you came from. Some are embarking on a new journey. And some are leaving. But I hope all of you will find happiness and peace wherever you are.” – Mr. Jang
Genre: Action, Crime
Synopsis: Rainbow Taxi Company and the taxi driver, Do-gi regain justice that Korean society has lost by seeking revenge on criminals who get away with their evil deeds.
Based on: “The Deluxe Taxi” by Carlos and Lee Jae-jin
No. of episodes: 16
Starring: Lee Je-hoon, Esom, Kim Eui-sung, Pyo Ye-jin
Written by: Oh Sang-ho, Lee Ji-hyun
Directed by: Park Joon-woo
Date: April 9 – May 29, 2021
Network: SBS, WAVVE
Subtitle translation: Netflix
KORB 