Songpa-gu Joint Inspection of Harmful Environments for Youth Including Room and Board Cafes

Songpa-gu to Conduct Joint Public-Private-Police Inspections on Harmful Environments for Youth During Summer Vacation

Focused Crackdown on New and Emerging Youth-Harmful Businesses such as Room Cafes, Comic Cafes, and Board Game Cafes

Seo Gang-seok, District Mayor, “We will thoroughly inspect and crack down to ensure that youth can grow up in a safe environment”

Songpa-gu (District Mayor Seo Gang-seok) will conduct intensive inspections and crackdowns on new and emerging youth-harmful businesses around schools and areas densely populated with such establishments from July 13 to July 27, in cooperation with Songpa Police Station, Child and Youth Guidance Committee members, and the Youth Harmful Environment Monitoring Group.

Songpa-gu has targeted 77 youth-accessible facilities operating in the area, including room cafes, comic cafes, board game cafes, and party rooms, to check for violations of the Youth Protection Act.

According to the Youth Protection Act, these facilities are defined as “new and emerging youth-harmful businesses” if they are ▲divided by private or enclosed spaces or partitions ▲equipped with bedding or audiovisual equipment ▲or operate in a manner where physical contact may occur.

During this crackdown, special attention will be paid to whether the facilities have inappropriate spatial arrangements such as private rooms, enclosed spaces, or bedding. If the inspected facilities are found to be “new and emerging youth-harmful businesses (facilities prohibited for youth entry and employment),” compliance with the obligation to mark them as such will be verified. Violations will result in correction orders and fines of up to 3 million KRW.

Furthermore, if violations of the youth entry and employment prohibition are reported to the police, those employing youth may face imprisonment of up to 3 years or fines up to 30 million KRW, and those allowing youth entry may face imprisonment of up to 2 years or fines up to 20 million KRW.

Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, stated, “We will strengthen crackdowns and preventive activities against new and emerging youth-harmful businesses, which have recently become a social issue, to create an environment where youth are not exposed to harmful environments and can grow up safely.”

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