Illegal Operation of Entertainment Bars After Registering as Regular Restaurants... Police Crack Down on 226 Business Owners and Others

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] A large number of business owners, employees, and customers were caught by the police at an unlicensed entertainment bar in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

According to the police on the 24th, the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul raided an unlicensed entertainment bar located in the basement level 1 of a building in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, at 9:05 PM the previous day, and cracked down on a total of 226 people, including the business owner, two employees, and 223 male and female customers, for violating the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act. The business owner was also charged with violating the Food Sanitation Act (unlicensed business operation).

The establishment was registered as a general restaurant with the local district office but was actually operating as an unlicensed entertainment bar by installing a DJ box, special lighting, sound equipment, and a stage. The police confirmed that posts recruiting groups to visit the establishment together were posted on social networking services (SNS), and conducted the crackdown in cooperation with the district office.

Currently, in the metropolitan area, the operation of six types of entertainment facilities, including entertainment bars, karaoke bars, emotional bars, colatecs, hunting pubs, and holdem pubs, is prohibited.