Over 250 People Caught in Police Crackdown After Two Days of Drinking and Dancing Past 10 PM

Joint Crackdown by Police and Local Governments Until the 18th
Maximum Deployment of Available Personnel in Seoul and Busan, Sites of Cluster Infections

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] Amid a surge of COVID-19 cases originating from entertainment bars nationwide, a police crackdown on illegal operations in entertainment establishments has uncovered numerous businesses violating quarantine guidelines.

The National Police Agency announced on the 8th that after inspecting 2,777 entertainment establishments across the country, they identified 206 individuals (38 cases) violating quarantine rules such as operating beyond restricted hours and failing to install electronic entry logs, and 49 individuals (23 cases) engaged in illegal operations including violations of the Food Sanitation Act (operating unlicensed entertainment bars) during the two days from April 5 to 6.

In fact, at around 11:35 p.m. on the 6th, 19 people including the owner, hostesses, and customers were caught operating a singing practice room in Songpa-gu, Seoul, evading the crackdown. Earlier, at around 11 p.m. on the 5th in Gyeyang-gu, Incheon, 24 people including the owner and customers of an entertainment establishment were caught by police for operating past restricted hours with the doors locked.

This focused crackdown was conducted jointly with local governments in consideration of the recent increase in cluster infections related to entertainment establishments and the fact that the country is at a critical point of the fourth wave. Given concerns such as difficulties in identifying confirmed cases and contacts due to cluster infections originating from entertainment venues, proactive measures against illegal operations were deemed necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in advance.

In particular, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (covering Gangnam, Seocho, Gangdong, and Songpa districts) and the Busan Police Agency, where recent cluster infections occurred, are conducting intensive crackdowns by mobilizing maximum available personnel including riot police in cooperation with local governments. This focused crackdown is scheduled to continue for two weeks until the 18th.

A police official stated, “We will continue to mobilize maximum available personnel to inspect establishments violating quarantine rules and crack down on illegal operations in entertainment facilities, doing our utmost to prevent COVID-19.”