Over 6,000 People Caught in 10 Weeks of Crackdown on Illegal Entertainment Venues in 'Quarantine Blind Spots'

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] As police continue crackdowns on illegal entertainment establishments that have fallen into the 'blind spots' of COVID-19 quarantine measures, more than 6,000 violators have been caught over the past 10 weeks.

According to the National Police Agency on the 14th, from the 5th of last month to the 13th of this month, the police deployed 17,978 officers and conducted joint inspections with local governments at 68,166 entertainment establishments nationwide. During this process, 1,109 cases of illegal activities including violations of quarantine guidelines and 6,014 individuals were apprehended.

By type, violations of the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act such as quarantine rule breaches accounted for 653 cases involving 5,290 people; violations of the Food Sanitation Act were 51 cases involving 225 people; and violations of the Music Industry Act were 404 cases involving 484 people. Additionally, 1 case involving 15 people was caught for violating the Act on the Punishment of Acts of Prostitution.

In Incheon, on the 11th at around 12:30 a.m., 79 people including business owners were caught operating an entertainment bar in Namdong-gu by turning off the signboard lights and locking the doors, serving only pre-booked customers. Likewise, the Southern Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency apprehended 36 people including business owners on the 8th at around 10:30 p.m. at an entertainment bar in Anyang-si operating in the same manner.

The police plan to continue crackdowns as violations at entertainment establishments persist. Especially with the summer vacation season approaching, they will conduct regular inspections of peak-season entertainment venues and strengthen inspections and crackdowns on underground establishments and other entertainment venues where natural ventilation is difficult.

Furthermore, the police will also conduct simultaneous crackdowns on brothels mostly linked to entertainment establishments. The focus will be on △ unregistered paid job introductions △ arranging and employing hostesses for karaoke rooms △ employment of entertainment hostesses at karaoke rooms.