"Can't Take It Anymore" Self-Employed Forced into Illegal Business Operations

Entertainment Business Owners "Unable to Operate for 1 Year, Facing Homelessness"
Some Resort to Irregular Operations in Restaurants and Officetels
Clubs Close in Gangnam, Lounges Open
Continued Violations of Quarantine Rules in Entertainment Facilities
Industry Watches Closely on 'Seoul-style Coexistence Quarantine' 추진 여부

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] "It's illegal, but there's no other way."

Shin Mo (42), who runs a nightlife bar in Namdong-gu, Incheon, is currently looking for another place to temporarily open after his establishment was forced to close due to a gathering ban order. He is trying to conduct "irregular business" at a place registered as a general restaurant that does not fall under nightlife facilities but is equipped with rooms or karaoke facilities like a nightlife venue. Shin said, "I've already used up all the money I saved, and I'm on the verge of being homeless," adding, "There are many people like me, so even finding a temporary place to use is not easy."

As nightlife facilities in the metropolitan area and Busan have been completely shut down, the nightlife industry is strongly protesting, and some nightlife business owners have started to seek self-help measures. They are temporarily renting places registered as general restaurants or officetels to operate or conducting irregular business by only accepting acquaintances as customers. The government previously decided to extend the current social distancing level (Level 2 in the metropolitan area, Level 1.5 in non-metropolitan areas) for three weeks and imposed a business ban on nightlife facilities in the metropolitan area and Busan starting from the 12th. However, if nightlife facilities strictly comply with quarantine rules, local governments have the discretion to ease this measure to a business restriction until 10 p.m. Nevertheless, Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, Incheon, and Busan are maintaining the gathering ban.

Clubs that have to close again due to this measure are already moving quickly. Some lounge bars in the Gangnam area of Seoul have continued operations in the form of "after clubs" since the 14th. Sales staff (MDs) who worked at clubs have moved to these places to attract customers.

Business owners argue that they must operate despite the risk of crackdowns to make a living immediately. The nightlife industry is also closely watching the potential implementation of the "Seoul-style Coexistence Quarantine," which includes easing nighttime business hours by industry. There is hope that if business restrictions on nightlife facilities in Seoul are eased, other local governments will also somewhat relax their restrictions.

On the 19th, when social distancing level 1.5 was implemented to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection, a closure notice was posted at a pub in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Seoul City has decided to promote the Seoul-style Coexistence Quarantine, which focuses on easing nighttime business hours by industry, and is gathering opinions from each sector. According to an official letter sent by Seoul City to the industry, nightlife bars, danran bars, emotional bars, and hunting pochas are allowed to operate until midnight, while hold'em pubs and bars can operate until 11 p.m., and colatecs until 10 p.m.

Choi Won-bong, General Manager of the Korea Nightlife Food Service Central Association, said, "We need to see how things progress, but we are grateful that such a plan was proposed for the suffering self-employed," adding, "If business restrictions are eased but managed systematically, it will reduce cases of underground operations."

Violations of quarantine guidelines at nightlife facilities continue. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency cracked down on nightlife facilities violating quarantine guidelines from the 5th to the 11th of this month, apprehending 657 people. The most common violations were breaches of business restriction hours and quarantine rules, and there were also cases of operating unlicensed clubs or nightlife bars. In Gangnam, Seoul, nightlife bar owners and customers who conducted late-night irregular business were reported to the police in large numbers after being caught twice. The Gangnam Police Station is investigating a case where 98 people, including a nightlife bar owner, employees, and customers in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, were reported for violating the gathering ban administrative order (violation of the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act). In Busan, three people, including a business owner operating an illegal nightlife bar in LCT The Residence, the tallest building in Haeundae, were caught and are under police investigation.

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