Police Raid Incheon Cafe Declaring '24-Hour Operation'...Criticism of Being "Excessive"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] Police conducted a search and seizure at a large cafe in Incheon that was reported after defying the government's quarantine policy by operating 24 hours.

According to the Metropolitan Investigation Unit of the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency on the 29th, the police carried out a search and seizure at the main branch and directly managed branch of Cafe A located in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, in the afternoon. It is known that the police secured the cafe's closed-circuit television (CCTV) and entry logs during this search and seizure.

This cafe operated two locations, the Yeonsu-gu main branch and the directly managed branch, 24 hours from the 18th to the 20th without complying with the government's operating hour restrictions. A notice titled "This store will continue normal 24-hour operations despite the government's operating hour restriction guidelines" was also posted on the cafe's entrance door. According to the revised quarantine rules effective from the 18th, cafes are only allowed to operate until 9 p.m.

Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, filed a complaint with the police against Cafe A's main branch and directly managed branch for violating the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act (Infectious Disease Prevention Act). Cafe A later withdrew its previous stance and decided to comply with the quarantine guidelines.

The police plan to analyze the materials secured through the search and seizure and summon the cafe's owner and employees for investigation soon.

Meanwhile, there is immediate backlash among self-employed business owners regarding this search and seizure. Some argue that conducting a search and seizure for operating against the rules is an excessive measure. In some self-employed communities and chat rooms, there are also calls to support the cafe owner.

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