Pretending to Be a Korean Traditional Restaurant... Caught Operating a Nightclub, Escaped by Climbing a Ladder

The police announced on the 22nd that they arrested a total of 83 people, including employees and customers, who were staying at an entertainment bar in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Choyoung] More than 80 employees and customers who were fleeing from a nightlife bar disguised as a Korean traditional set menu restaurant and operating until dawn were caught by the police.

The police announced on the 22nd at around 1:30 a.m. that they had arrested a total of 83 employees and customers staying at a nightlife bar in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, on charges of violating the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act.

On the 21st at around 11 p.m., the police were investigating establishments that had not been raided among cases reported for violating the gathering ban. The police found an employee watching the premises on site and became suspicious, confirming that a ventilation fan connected to the basement was operating.

Unable to find a way to enter, the police discovered through the management office's closed-circuit television (CCTV) that customers and employees were escaping inside the building through an emergency exit next to the freight elevator.

When the police raided the place, some customers and employees fled through the building's internal emergency stairs or climbed a ladder to escape to the rooftop. The CCTV footage also showed customers escaping under the guidance of employees.

The government issued a gathering ban order on nightlife facilities such as nightlife bars, hunting pubs, and hold'em pubs starting from the 12th. A police official said, "If you operate or use nightlife bars during the gathering ban period for nightlife facilities, you may be subject to fines as well as criminal penalties."

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