[THE INVESTOR] Uber’s cofounder and CEO Travis Kalanick has declined again to stand trial in Seoul for the company‘s illegal taxi-hailing service that was suspended here in 2014.

At a planned hearing held on June 29, his lawyer is expected to attend instead of him. 

Established in 2009, Uber entered the Korean market in 2013 but was forced to stop its service, except its luxury limousine service, due to fierce resistance from taxi drivers and the local authorities.

In December 2014, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office also indicted the Uber chief and the head of MK Korea, a rental-car service operator, on charges of violating a local transportation law.

A Seoul court had asked Kalanick to stand trial several times in recent months but he has declined to attend citing private issues.

MK Korea, which was to receive 20 percent fees from Uber for renting cars, was recently sentenced with a mere 2 million won ($1,700) fine on the same charges.

Korea’s top law firm Kim & Chang represents the Uber CEO.

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)