Illegal Entertainment Venues in 'Quarantine Blind Spots' Crackdown: 6,300 People Caught Over 11 Weeks

Entertainment district.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] As police continue crackdowns on illegal entertainment establishments that have fallen into the "blind spots" of COVID-19 quarantine measures, more than 6,300 violators have been caught over 11 weeks.

According to the National Police Agency on the 21st, from April 5 to the 20th of this month, the police deployed 18,891 officers and conducted joint inspections with local governments at 72,640 entertainment venues nationwide. During this process, 1,188 cases of illegal activities including violations of quarantine guidelines were detected, and 6,373 individuals were apprehended.

By type, violations of the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act such as quarantine rule breaches accounted for 691 cases involving 5,591 people; violations of the Food Sanitation Act were 52 cases involving 231 people; and violations of the Music Industry Act were 444 cases involving 536 people. Additionally, 1 case involving 15 people was caught for violating the Act on the Punishment of Acts of Prostitution.

In Seoul, on the 14th at around 10:40 p.m., 42 people including business owners and customers were caught operating an unlicensed so-called "full salon" in connection with an entertainment bar in the same building at a motel located in Gangnam-gu. Also, in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi Province, 81 people were caught by police at 11 locations, including 5 entertainment bars and 6 karaoke rooms, that violated quarantine rules during focused inspections of 104 entertainment venues.

The police plan to continue crackdowns as violations at entertainment establishments persist. They will focus on unlicensed entertainment bars operating in remodeled motels, businesses renting other locations such as residential areas, and reoperations of previously violating establishments. Furthermore, the police will also conduct inspections and crackdowns on entertainment venues near major vacation spots expected to be crowded during the summer holiday season.

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