Despite Gathering Ban... Police Arrest 92 People at Late-Night Operation in Songpa-gu Entertainment Venue

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] In a situation where gatherings at entertainment facilities in the metropolitan area are prohibited, a large number of employees and customers were caught by the police at a late-night entertainment bar in Songpa-gu, Seoul.

According to the police on the 16th, the Songpa Police Station apprehended a total of 92 people, including the owner, 41 employees, and 51 customers, at an underground entertainment bar in a hotel in Garak-dong, Songpa-gu, around 11:30 PM the previous day. The police decided to hand over the list to the local district office.

The police received a report of a 'violation of the gathering ban order' and dispatched available personnel from the Songpa Police Station's Criminal Division, Traffic Division, local police substation, and riot police to the scene. The police blocked escape routes such as the main and back entrances of the bar and conducted the crackdown in cooperation with district office officials.

The police plan to notify the local district office of violations of business restrictions and quarantine rules such as the 'ban on gatherings of five or more people' so that administrative penalties like fines can be imposed.

Earlier, from the 12th of this month, the government, due to the increased risk of the '4th wave,' has in principle prohibited gatherings at entertainment facilities in metropolitan areas and Busan, which are under Level 2 'social distancing' measures.