'Membership-Only Operation' Gangnam High-End Entertainment Venue Caught... Illegal Business for Over a Year

Illegal operation crackdown scene at a nightlife establishment. Photo by Suseo Police Station

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] The owner, employees, and customers of a nightlife establishment in Gangnam, Seoul, who continued illegal operations for over a year to evade crackdowns, have been apprehended by the police.

According to the police on the 20th, the Suseo Police Station in Seoul arrested a total of 28 people, including one owner, 18 employees, and 9 customers, at a nightlife venue in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, around 11:20 p.m. the previous day for illegal business operations.

The establishment, known as a high-end nightlife venue called "Tenpro," catered to wealthy clients such as CEOs of well-known small and medium-sized enterprises and operated on a membership basis. It was confirmed that they evaded crackdowns for over a year by relocating their business every three months within Gangnam-gu and Seocho-gu in a "grasshopper-style" operation.

The police received a 112 emergency call but, based on cases where no crackdowns occurred, analyzed the establishment’s closed-circuit television (CCTV) and launched a stakeout investigation, capturing scenes of customers and female employees frequently coming and going while conducting illegal business.

The police then blocked the entrance and a secret passage behind the building’s flower bed before raiding the premises. During this process, some employees and customers hid in storage rooms or among sound equipment. Some denied the crime, claiming to be employees or acquaintances, but soon confessed after being shown video evidence.

It was revealed that this nightlife venue did not provide thermometers nor comply with minimal quarantine measures such as maintaining visitor logs or QR code check-ins.

The police have booked them on charges including violations of the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act and are investigating. The owner and female employees also face charges of violating the Food Sanitation Act and operating without a license. Gangnam-gu has filed a complaint against the establishment with the police.