Taxi Driver Season 3: Cast Guide and Filming Locations

Taxi Driver Season 3 premiered on November 21, 2025, bringing back the beloved Rainbow Taxi crew for their most ambitious mission yet. Led by Lee Je-hoon as flashy wheelman Kim Do-ki, this season expands the vigilante team’s operations beyond Korean borders, tackling an international human trafficking ring connected to the Japanese yakuza.

Main Cast of Taxi Driver Season 3

Lee Je-hoon as Kim Do-gi of Taxi Driver Season 3

Lee Je-hoon returns as Kim Do-gi, the ex-special forces operative who leads the Rainbow Taxi vigilante operation. His character has become iconic for delivering justice to victims failed by the legal system. At the press conference, Lee promised that this season would feature a stronger, more dangerous version of Kim Do-gi, with deeper emotional storylines that showcase his evolution as the team’s leader.

Kim Eui-sung as Jang Sung-cheol of Taxi Driver Season 3

Kim Eui-sung reprises his role as Jang Sung-cheol, the CEO and mastermind behind Rainbow Taxi. As the strategic brain of the operation, Jang Sung-cheol selects cases, builds elaborate plans, and ensures the team can execute their missions flawlessly. His character provides the moral compass and organizational structure that makes Rainbow Taxi’s vigilante operations possible.

Pyo Ye-jin as Ahn Go-eun of Taxi Driver Season 3

Pyo Ye-jin returns as Ahn Go-eun, the team’s brilliant hacker and digital intelligence specialist. This season promises to showcase Go-eun in more dangerous situations, particularly during the Japan arc where her technical skills become crucial in tracking the human trafficking network. Her character handles digital surveillance, firewall penetration, and real-time intelligence gathering that keeps the team one step ahead of criminals.

Jang Hyuk-jin as Choi Kyung-ku of Taxi Driver Season 3

Jang Hyuk-jin plays Choi Kyung-ku, the team’s mechanical genius and gadget specialist. Responsible for modifying the iconic Rainbow Taxi vehicles and creating specialized equipment for missions, Choi Kyung-ku’s engineering expertise enables the team to execute complex undercover operations. His character provides both technical innovation and comic relief throughout the series.

Bae Yoo-ram as Park Jin-eon

Bae Yoo-ram portrays Park Jin-eon, described as the emotional and comedic heart of the team who becomes lethal when missions demand it. His character balances lighthearted moments with serious action sequences, showcasing impressive versatility. Park Jin-eon’s loyalty to the team and victims they serve adds emotional depth to the vigilante operations.

Special Guest Stars and Cameos of Taxi Driver Season 3

Jang Na-ra‘s Surprise Appearance of Taxi Driver Season 3

Jang Na-ra makes a shocking and emotional cameo that fans are calling one of the best surprises of 2025. While details about her character remain closely guarded, her involvement has generated significant buzz among K-drama enthusiasts. Her appearance promises to add an unexpected emotional dimension to Season 3’s narrative.

Yoon Shi-yoon’s Anticipated Role of Taxi Driver Season 3

Yoon Shi-yoon joins the cast as another major cameo appearance. Fan speculation suggests his character may present moral complications for the Rainbow Taxi team, potentially serving as either an ally with complex motivations or an antagonist who challenges their methods of delivering justice.

Storyline and International Expansion of Taxi Driver Season 3

Season 3 follows the Rainbow Taxi team as they confront a network of loan sharks linked to an international human trafficking ring, forcing them to expand their operations overseas. The season focuses on a case involving a student named Ye-ji who introduced a gambling game to her classmate Yi-seo, who subsequently was forced into prostitution in Japan after accumulating heavy gambling debts.

The main antagonist is revealed to be the head of Neko Money, a rising force in the Japanese Yakuza who operates prostitution and human trafficking operations. This villain represents the team’s biggest challenge yet, requiring Rainbow Taxi to coordinate with international law enforcement, including an Interpol agent dispatched from Hong Kong.

Filming Locations of Taxi Driver Season 3

Taxi Driver Season 3 showcases diverse filming locations across Korea and, for the first time in the series’ history, Japan. The production team carefully selected authentic locations that enhance the drama’s gritty realism and expand its geographic scope.

Korean Filming Locations of Taxi Driver Season 3

Yeongjong-daero (영종대로)

This major expressway connecting Incheon International Airport to the mainland serves as a backdrop for high-speed chase sequences. The wide, modern highway provides the perfect setting for the modified Rainbow Taxi vehicles to showcase their capabilities during pursuit scenes. The location’s proximity to both urban and coastal areas offers versatile shooting opportunities.

Amsa Bridge Underpass (암사대교아래)

Located in eastern Seoul, the area beneath Amsa Bridge creates an atmospheric urban setting ideal for clandestine meetings and covert operations. The industrial aesthetic and natural lighting conditions make it a popular location for Korean action dramas requiring gritty, realistic environments.

Bunam Beach (부남해변)

This coastal location in Taean, South Chungcheong Province, provides stunning seaside scenery for the drama. The beach’s natural beauty contrasts with the darker elements of the storyline, offering visual diversity. Coastal locations often serve as meeting points or transition scenes in the narrative.

Busan Port Coastal Passenger Terminal (부산항연안여객터미널)

As a major transportation hub connecting Korea to international destinations, this terminal plays a significant role in Season 3’s trafficking storyline. The busy port setting authentically depicts the logistics of international criminal operations while providing production value through its modern architecture and maritime atmosphere.

Bando Bora Discount Mart, Busan (부산 반도보라할인마트)

This everyday shopping location represents the series’ commitment to grounding its vigilante justice narrative in recognizable, ordinary settings. Korean dramas frequently use such locations to show how crime affects regular people in familiar environments, making the stories more relatable to viewers.

Sinseon Middle School, Busan (부산 신선중학교)

Educational institutions have appeared throughout the Taxi Driver series when cases involve young victims. This Busan school location likely connects to storylines involving students targeted by predatory criminals, emphasizing the show’s focus on protecting vulnerable populations.

Gamji Beach, Busan (부산 감지해변)

Another coastal Busan location, Gamji Beach offers different aesthetic qualities from Bunam Beach. Its rocky coastline and dramatic landscape provide atmospheric backdrops for tense confrontational scenes or pivotal character moments.

Japanese Filming Locatioons of Taxi Driver Season 3

Hakata Port International Terminal Parking Lot (하카타항국제터미널 주차장)

For the first time, Taxi Driver was filmed outside Korea, with part of the filming taking place in Fukuoka City, Japan, between mid and late May 2025. The Hakata Port International Terminal represents the series’ bold expansion into international territory, both narratively and physically.

This location serves multiple production purposes. As a major ferry terminal connecting Japan and Korea, it authentically represents the trafficking routes depicted in Season 3’s storyline. The modern terminal facilities and parking structures provide versatile filming environments for action sequences, surveillance operations, and dramatic confrontations with yakuza antagonists.

The decision to film in Fukuoka holds strategic significance. As the closest major Japanese city to Korea, Fukuoka maintains strong cultural and economic connections across the Korea Strait. This geographic proximity makes it a realistic setting for the criminal operations the Rainbow Taxi team investigates, while also being logistically practical for the Korean production team.

Production Quality and Direction

Director Kang Bo-seung, who served as assistant director in Season 1, returns as the lead director for Season 3. His deep familiarity with the show’s universe and visual style ensures consistency while bringing fresh perspectives to the expanding narrative scope.

The production team faced significant challenges coordinating international filming, including navigating Japanese location permits, working with local crews, and maintaining the series’ signature visual aesthetic across different cultural contexts. The successful execution of these international shoots demonstrates the growing sophistication of Korean drama production capabilities.

Why Filming Locations Matter

The carefully selected filming locations in Taxi Driver Season 3 serve multiple crucial functions beyond mere visual backdrops. Each location contributes to the narrative’s authenticity, helping viewers understand the geographic scope of modern criminal operations.

The Korean locations ground the series in familiar territory, reminding viewers that vigilante justice emerges from systemic failures in recognizable communities. Meanwhile, the Japanese locations visually represent the team’s expansion beyond their comfort zone, facing unfamiliar challenges in foreign territory where their usual networks and resources may not apply.

The contrast between Seoul’s urban landscapes, Busan’s coastal environments, and Fukuoka’s international terminal settings creates visual variety that keeps the 16-episode season engaging. Production designers utilize these locations to reflect character development and plot progression, with geographic expansion mirroring the team’s growing capabilities and increasingly complex cases.

Cast Chemistry and Behind-the-Scenes Insights

According to Lee Je-hoon, after spending so much time together across three seasons, the line between the actors’ real personalities and their characters has faded, with the on-screen chemistry now closely resembling how they interact in real life. This natural rapport contributes significantly to the show’s appeal, making the Rainbow Taxi team feel like a genuine family rather than just colleagues pursuing vigilante justice.

The returning cast’s comfort with their roles and each other allows Season 3 to focus on deepening character relationships and exploring more complex emotional territory. Their established chemistry enables the addition of guest stars like Jang Na-ra and Yoon Shi-yoon to seamlessly integrate into the narrative without disrupting the core group dynamics.

Critical Reception and Viewer Expectations

Season 3 launched with a slight ratings dip but has been praised as a stronger, more confident start than Season 2, which some critics felt repeated the premise without fully capturing the original’s energy. Early episodes have been commended for immediately establishing high stakes through the international trafficking storyline.

The series received a 9 percent Nielsen rating in its early episodes, demonstrating continued strong viewer interest. Fans have particularly praised the Japan arc’s production values and the series’ willingness to tackle uncomfortable but socially relevant topics like human trafficking and gambling addiction among youth.

What Makes Season 3 Stand Out

Season 3 distinguishes itself through several key innovations while maintaining the core elements that made previous seasons successful. The international expansion adds fresh challenges and visual diversity without abandoning the domestic social issues that give the series its emotional weight.

The introduction of Japanese yakuza as antagonists raises the stakes considerably. Unlike previous villains who operated within Korean legal and social systems the Rainbow Taxi team knows intimately, the yakuza represent organized crime with international reach, resources, and ruthlessness that test the team’s capabilities and moral boundaries.

The season’s focus on human trafficking addresses one of the most serious global crimes, demonstrating Taxi Driver’s commitment to highlighting real social issues. While maintaining its action-thriller entertainment value, the series doesn’t shy away from depicting the devastating human cost of exploitation, giving emotional stakes to the vigilante operations.

Conclusion: A Global Journey for Justice

Taxi Driver Season 3 successfully expands the beloved series’ scope while maintaining the core elements that made it a phenomenon. The stellar returning cast brings depth and authenticity to their roles, while guest appearances from K-drama favorites add exciting new dimensions to the narrative.

The diverse filming locations spanning from Seoul’s urban environments to Busan’s coastlines and Fukuoka’s international terminals create a visually stunning backdrop for the team’s most dangerous mission yet. These carefully selected settings enhance the storytelling, grounding the heightened drama in authentic, recognizable locations.

As the Rainbow Taxi team ventures into international territory to dismantle a human trafficking network, Season 3 promises to deliver the thrilling action, emotional depth, and social commentary that defines the series. Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to the franchise, this season offers a compelling entry point into one of Korean television’s most distinctive and socially conscious action dramas.

The series continues to prove that vigilante justice narratives can be both entertaining and thought-provoking, using its pulpy premise to shine a light on real social issues while delivering the high-octane action sequences fans crave. With its expanded scope, international locations, and returning ensemble cast, Taxi Driver Season 3 stands as a testament to Korean drama’s growing ambition and global appeal.