"Cyber Room Salon" Opens Right in Front of Cheongdam Elementary in Gangnam... Parents Outraged as Authorities Unable to Take Action

No Applicable Laws for Sanctions
Authorities Only Request Caution on Smoking and Attire

Controversy has arisen as an adult broadcasting studio, classified as a so-called "cyber room salon," has moved into a building near an elementary school in Gangnam, Seoul.

According to Yonhap News on April 26, a specialized "Excel broadcast" studio was established in the basement of a building located about 100 meters from an elementary school in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu. Excel broadcasts refer to a type of streaming in which BJs (broadcast jockeys) present provocative content, rank their supporters based on the donations received, and disclose these rankings in a manner similar to an Excel spreadsheet. This format stimulates competition among supporters, encouraging them to donate even more. The National Tax Service has defined highly provocative Excel broadcasts as "harmful content that disrupts social norms and violates sound legal order," labeling them as "cyber room salons."

BJs broadcasting Excel sessions smoking on the street. Provided by reader. Yonhap News Agency

On-site, groups of BJs wearing short skirts and revealing tops were seen entering and leaving the building, smoking around the premises, or conducting live broadcasts. Children carrying school backpacks passed by these BJs, indicating that students' routes to and from school overlapped with the location. There were already widespread rumors about the studio among students. Some students testified that they felt uncomfortable seeing people dressed in revealing clothes and smoking.

As complaints from parents poured in, on April 23, Gangnam District Office, responding to a request for cooperation from the Office of Education, conducted a joint inspection of the studio with police and school officials to check for possible violations of the Act on the Improvement of Educational Environment and the Youth Protection Act. However, under current law, the authorities determined that the studio could not be classified as a restricted business in an "educational environment protection zone," and thus could not take substantial measures. They only requested that smoking outside the building be refrained from and that BJs pay attention to their attire when going out.

The Act on the Improvement of Educational Environment designates a 200-meter radius from the school boundary as an educational environment protection zone, prohibiting business activities that may harm students' health, hygiene, safety, learning, and educational environment within this area. Although the studio is located within this protection zone, it is registered as a "studio rental business," so it does not fall under the restricted business types defined by the law. Since there were no enclosed spaces inside the studio, both the police and district office determined that it did not qualify as a "youth-harmful establishment" as defined by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family’s notification. As a result, due to ambiguous regulations, the authorities have not been able to take definitive action.

Instagram of A Studio. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The school has promised to continue monitoring the situation in cooperation with related organizations. Experts pointed out the spread of online adult content industries, the emergence of new forms of harmful environments that combine with physical spaces, and the limitations of the current legal framework. They emphasized the urgent need to establish systems that can protect children from exposure to harmful environments in line with the pace of technological change.

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