Uber Korea, the local affiliate of U.S.-based transportation network company Uber, said Friday it would start a trial operation of an expanded ride-sharing service in Seoul, a move that the South Korean government immediately ruled as illegal.

Uber’s latest business move follows a run-in with the Seoul city government, which said last month that the company’s existing cab-booking service was illegal and that it may ban the service.

Uber said it would launch an UberX app, which can be downloaded by all smartphone users. Once the app is downloaded, a person can call registered cars that are closest to them to get a ride. This could do away with having to flag a taxicab, which may be difficult in certain circumstances.

In addition, UberX allows users to choose from a wider selection of vehicles instead of the upscale Uber Black service that links users with limousines. (Yonhap)