"Hundreds Gather to Dance"... Police Catch Over 200 at Unauthorized Club in Gangnam

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] As the number of new COVID-19 cases in South Korea has remained in the 600s for three consecutive days, raising concerns about the 4th wave, hundreds of people were caught in a raid at an illegal entertainment bar in Gangnam, Seoul.

According to the police on the 11th, the Suseo Police Station in Seoul apprehended about 200 people, including employees and customers, at an unlicensed club in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, around 9:25 PM the previous day, and arrested the owner on the spot for violating the Food Sanitation Act.

The police responded to a 112 report stating "hundreds of people gathered and dancing," dispatching officers from the Dogok Police Substation, the Public Order Division, and a riot squad, with a total of about 50 officers participating in the crackdown.

This establishment, registered as a regular restaurant, operated in the form of a club with sound equipment and special lighting installed. Evidence showed that customers did not follow detailed quarantine rules such as wearing masks or social distancing. When the police arrived, some customers shouted protests like "Did we commit a crime? On what grounds are you doing this?" It was also reported that some had already left the venue before the raid due to concerns about quarantine measures.

The local district office, which conducted the crackdown alongside the police, plans to impose fines on those caught for violating the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act.

A police official stated, "Given the serious spread of COVID-19 and the upcoming prohibition on gatherings at entertainment facilities in the metropolitan area starting from the 12th, we will actively respond to violations of quarantine rules."

Afternoon crackdown site on the 10th [Image source=Yonhap News]

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