'Gathering Ban Violation' Entertainment Bars... Even Hiding in Private Rooms to Evade Crackdowns Won't Help

Photo by Seoul Suseo Police Station

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, owners and customers of entertainment bars who violated quarantine rules and operated illegally were repeatedly caught by the police. They tried to evade the crackdown by putting up two signs for one establishment or hiding in secret rooms, but they could not escape the police net.

According to the police on the 28th, the Suseo Police Station in Seoul caught 26 people, including owner A, 11 employees, and 14 customers, at an unauthorized entertainment bar in the basement level 1 of a building in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, at around 10:50 p.m. on the 26th, for violating the assembly ban order.

Owner A effectively operated one establishment but registered it as two separate businesses based on the entrances, putting up different signboards with different business names at each entrance to disguise it as two separate establishments.

Although registered as a singing practice room, this establishment was actually operated as an entertainment bar where female employees served customers. The police booked owner A on charges of violating the Food Sanitation Act and all those caught, including customers, on charges of violating the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act.

It is known that this establishment had been operating an unauthorized entertainment bar by closing the entrance with the registered business name that was raided in May and receiving customers through another entrance registered under a different business name.

On the 19th, a joint crackdown team from Gangnam Police Station and Gangnam District Office caught owner Lee (44), employees, hostesses, and 43 customers operating an unauthorized entertainment bar after preparing a separate hiding space. The police booked all those caught, including customers, on charges of violating the Food Sanitation Act and the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act.

The joint crackdown team caught them at an entertainment bar in the basement level 1 of a building in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, at around 11:55 p.m. on the 19th. While conducting inquiries as part of a comprehensive entertainment facility crackdown plan, the team witnessed customers entering this establishment, which had no signboard outside. They entered by opening the ground floor entrance and the basement level 1 entrance.

When the team entered, customers and hostesses hid, and only the owner and employees sat denying the operation. However, since there were liquor bottles and side dishes in each room, it was estimated that the business had been operating until just before the raid. The team conducted a detailed search for about 20 minutes. Eventually, they found a secret entrance installed on one side of a room inside the establishment. After entering, they found a narrow corridor and stairs passing through two more doors, leading to a basement space where 20 male customers and 17 hostesses were hiding and caught them.

People hiding their bodies in a closed room. / Photo by Seoul Gangnam Police Station

On the 17th, the police caught owner Hwang and 17 female employees and 16 customers, totaling 34 people, violating the assembly ban order at an unauthorized entertainment bar reported as a regular restaurant. Some tried to escape to the building rooftop when the police raided, but they were caught.

Hwang is accused of violating the Food Sanitation Act by operating an unauthorized entertainment bar by registering the establishment located in Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, as a regular restaurant from April 5, 2018, until being caught, installing 10 rooms and employing female hostesses. The 17 employees who worked at the establishment were also booked on the same charge of violating the Food Sanitation Act.

At around 7:50 a.m. on the 17th, the police received a report that "an unauthorized entertainment bar is operating by renting a place like a bar" and went to the scene with district office staff.

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