Illegal business operations taking place inside a motel room [Photo by KBS Broadcast Screen Capture]
[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Following COVID-19 quarantine guidelines that prohibit entertainment establishments from operating after 10 PM, some entertainment venues were caught illegally operating by renting rooms in lodging facilities.
According to multiple media reports, on the 30th, a total of 28 entertainment establishments and 210 people were apprehended by the police on charges including violations of the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act for secretly gathering customers through social networking services (SNS) and operating illegally.
On the 30th of last month, a crackdown team composed of police and Suwon city officials confirmed illegal entertainment bar operations at a motel. When investigators requested, the motel owner opened the door to one of the rooms, revealing whiskey, bottled water, ice buckets, and people who appeared to be customers and hostesses inside.
The man and woman sitting at the table repeatedly claimed to the investigators asking about their relationship that they were "staying overnight together as a couple." Some customers in the room protested the police crackdown, asking, "Where did you come from? Do you have legal consent?" When the police informed them that the crackdown was conducted under the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, they belatedly covered their faces with clothing.
The police stated that at the scene, they cracked down on a total of 10 people including the business owner, employees, hostesses, and customers for violations of the Food Sanitation Act and the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act.
On the same day in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, a joint police crackdown team caught an establishment that was meticulously operating an illegal entertainment bar by only accepting reserved customers to avoid detection. At this establishment, the owner checked identities at the entrance and then let customers in through the emergency stairs.
The police entered the establishment disguised as customers and confirmed the illegal operations. Subsequently, the crackdown team raided the site and cracked down on a total of 33 people including the owner, hostesses, and customers for violations of the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act.
As a result of the crackdown that day, 11 entertainment establishments, 14 karaoke rooms, and 3 unlicensed entertainment venues were identified as illegal businesses.
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