Two Months of Crackdown on Illegal Entertainment Venues in 'Quarantine Blind Spots'... Over 5,000 People Caught

Entertainment bar caught by the police.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] Despite the continued spread of COVID-19, illegal operations of entertainment establishments have persisted, resulting in over 5,000 violators being caught in nine weeks of crackdowns.

According to the National Police Agency on the 6th, from July 3rd to August 5th, over a period of nine weeks, the police deployed 30,262 officers and conducted joint inspections with local governments at 70,079 entertainment venues nationwide. During this process, 768 cases of illegal activities, including violations of quarantine guidelines, and 5,128 individuals were apprehended.

By type, there were 531 cases involving 4,494 people violating the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, such as gathering bans; 32 cases involving 411 people violating the Food Sanitation Act; and 205 cases involving 223 people violating the Music Industry Act.

In Seoul, on the 1st at 10:08 p.m., 36 people including business owners who employed entertainment workers to operate a general restaurant in Gangnam-gu were caught. In Daegu, on the 3rd at 11:15 p.m., 50 people were caught operating a nightlife bar in Jung-gu with the signboard lights turned off to conceal the business. Additionally, on the 5th at 12:15 a.m., 37 people were caught operating a nightlife bar in Wanju-gun, Jeonbuk, in a similar manner.

The police plan to continue special crackdowns at least until the end of this month and are considering extensions depending on the situation. The main targets for enforcement are ▲ unlicensed (variant) operations ▲ violations of gathering bans and restriction orders ▲ other quarantine rule violations ▲ sale of alcohol and employment of hostesses at singing practice rooms.

Furthermore, the police will conduct continuous inspections and crackdowns on already sanctioned establishments, notify the National Tax Service of taxation data, and actively pursue enforcement by proving conspiratorial relationships and filing charges if business owners are absent at the scene.

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