Police Conduct Intensive Crackdown for 3 Weeks on Unauthorized Entertainment Venues in 'Quarantine Blind Spots'

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] The police are launching a large-scale crackdown on illegal entertainment establishments that have fallen into the 'blind spots' of COVID-19 quarantine rules.

On the 24th, the National Police Agency announced that it will promote intensive crackdowns on illegal businesses in cooperation with local governments, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and other related agencies.

The crackdown period is scheduled to be conducted for three weeks from the 25th of this month to the 14th of next month. Targets include establishments registered as karaoke rooms that operate as unauthorized entertainment bars through irregular means, or those registered as general restaurants but operating as unauthorized entertainment bars for reserved customers to evade crackdowns.

Earlier, from the 4th to the 17th of this month, the National Police Agency conducted focused crackdowns on entertainment facilities for violations of the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, such as violating gathering bans, resulting in 43 cases and 348 individuals being targeted.

In particular, 53 people have been identified on charges including violations of the Food Sanitation Act and the Music Industry Act related to unauthorized operations, and investigations are ongoing. For example, on the 5th of this month, 16 people, including business owners, were caught operating an unauthorized entertainment bar by locking the doors and hiring entertainment workers for reserved customers at a karaoke room in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Additionally, on the 15th, a business owner was caught operating an unauthorized club by installing sound equipment and special lighting at a general restaurant in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, for pre-reserved customers.

In response, on the 22nd, the National Police Agency held a video conference with police agencies from cities and provinces nationwide to share recent cases of illegal operations of unauthorized entertainment facilities, enforcement examples, and methods of crackdown. They also discussed nationwide cooperation for COVID-19 quarantine and measures to block illegal activities.

A National Police Agency official emphasized, "Illegal business operations are not simply violations of business types but cause serious disruptions to quarantine efforts," adding, "We plan to thoroughly crack down and strictly punish such acts."