No Mask Party on Board, Secret Bars... Repeated Quarantine Violations Spark Public Outrage

25 People Caught Holding 'No Mask Party' at Hangang Riverside Cafe
Entertainment Bar with 'Secret Room' to Evade Crackdown Also Found
"Will They Compensate If a Cluster Infection Occurs?" Citizens Express Outrage

Seoul Han River floating cafe caught violating quarantine rules. / Photo by Seoul City

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] As the fourth wave of COVID-19 continues to surge, cases of restaurants and entertainment bars violating quarantine guidelines have been repeatedly reported in the Seoul metropolitan area, fueling public anger. There are concerns that this could lead to mass infections and prolong the high-level social distancing measures.

According to Seoul City on the 8th, numerous customers who held a 'rooftop party' without wearing masks at a Han River cruise cafe located in Gangnam-gu were caught violating the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act and the Food Sanitation Act.

The problematic cruise cafe was registered as a regular restaurant but was actually operated like a club. This cafe, popular with 7,000 followers on social media (SNS), promoted itself to young people by posting party videos and accepted customers through direct messages (DMs).

However, after receiving reports from citizens that the cafe was operating in violation of quarantine rules, Seoul City deployed investigators at night. On-site, customers were seen dancing to music without masks. When the enforcement team entered, the cafe managers turned off the music and shouted at customers to "wear masks."

The enforcement team immediately fined 25 customers for violating quarantine rules such as the ban on gatherings of three or more people. The business owner is expected to face criminal charges for violating the Food Sanitation Act and administrative penalties including a two-month suspension of business.

An employee caught by the crackdown team while hiding in a secret room of a nightlife bar / Photo by Deokyang-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi

This is not the only case of illegal operations violating quarantine rules. Some even created 'secret rooms' to evade enforcement teams and operate covertly.

Earlier, on the 3rd, according to Deogyang-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi Province, an entertainment bar was caught conducting illegal late-night operations on the afternoon of the 30th of last month.

Upon receiving a complaint that the bar was secretly operating with its doors closed, the enforcement team forcibly opened the closed entrance and entered, finding only the owner and two employees inside.

However, the team checked the kitchen for alcohol and side dishes and searched the building, discovering that a door marked on the building plan as an entrance to a break room was blocked by a bookshelf. After investigation, the enforcement team found a hidden room behind the bookshelf and caught four customers and seven employees hiding there.

As such cases continued, citizens expressed outrage. There were concerns that a large-scale mass infection could occur due to the carelessness of some business owners and customers.

A 20-something office worker A, living in the metropolitan area, said, "I understand how difficult it is for self-employed and small business owners due to prolonged social distancing, but I wonder how they can take such dangerous risks. If a mass infection occurs and level 4 restrictions are extended further, will they compensate for the damages?"

Another office worker B (31) criticized, "Some people think others don’t go out because they don’t know how to have fun outside. There are too many selfish people."

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum is attending the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) meeting for COVID-19 response held at the Government Seoul Office on the 6th. / Photo by Yonhap News

Meanwhile, on the 6th, the government decided to extend the current COVID-19 social distancing measures for another two weeks. Accordingly, level 4 restrictions will continue in the metropolitan area, and level 3 in non-metropolitan areas for two more weeks, with private gathering limits remaining unchanged.

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, presiding over the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting at the Government Seoul Office that day, said, "The flames of infection spread are still ongoing," and emphasized, "Knowing the pain of small business owners and self-employed people who are struggling day by day as customers dwindle, this extension decision was very difficult, but now quarantine is the priority, and quarantine is livelihood."

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