Seoul Tourism Police Unit, 384 Illegal Lodging Cases Detected in 'Quarantine Blind Spots'

Joint Crackdown by Related Agencies Uncovers a Total of 384 Cases Including Unregistered Lodging Businesses

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced that it has uncovered 384 cases in a crackdown on illegal lodging businesses.

The Seoul Police Agency, together with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Seoul Metropolitan Government, and five local governments including Gangnam and Mapo, conducted a joint crackdown on illegal lodging establishments. So far, they have taken action against 104 cases of unregistered lodging and other tourism-related illegal activities, and 280 cases of guidance activities including violations of COVID-19 quarantine rules, totaling 384 cases.

The Seoul Police Agency stated, "As the use of lodging through online accommodation sharing platforms rapidly expands, threats to tourist safety caused by illegal lodging businesses and economic damage to legitimate lodging operators are expected," adding, "Since COVID-19, as lifestyle tourists increasingly seek quiet everyday spaces rather than famous tourist spots, the crackdown has focused on eradicating illegal lodging businesses that fall into quarantine blind spots."

Illegal lodging facilities lack proper safety measures for tourists, posing a high risk of accidents. Moreover, these poorly managed illegal lodging businesses are becoming quarantine blind spots, as they are also used as temporary accommodations for self-quarantined individuals. In particular, there have been numerous violations of the ban on gatherings of five or more people, putting guests at constant risk of COVID-19 infection.

In a joint crackdown last month with the Tourism Police Unit and Jongno District Office, it was confirmed that a guesthouse located in Changsin-dong, Jongno-gu, violated quarantine rules by accommodating about 10 guests, resulting in violations of the Public Health Control Act (unregistered lodging business) and COVID-19 quarantine regulations.

A representative of the Tourism Police Unit stated, "We will strengthen joint crackdowns with related agencies at least once a month and continue monitoring to create a safe tourism environment."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.