A karaoke practice room operator who was suspended from business for selling alcohol filed an appeal lawsuit, claiming "it was difficult to operate due to COVID-19," but lost in the first trial.
According to the legal community on the 13th, Judge Lee Kang-eun of the Seoul Administrative Court, Administrative Division 8, recently ruled against plaintiff A in the lawsuit to cancel the business suspension filed against the mayor of Guro-gu, Seoul.
In March of last year, A was caught selling alcohol to customers at the karaoke practice room he operated. The district office imposed a 10-day business suspension. Under the Music Industry Promotion Act, karaoke practice rooms are prohibited from selling or providing alcoholic beverages.
A filed an administrative lawsuit, stating, "I sold alcohol due to business difficulties caused by COVID-19. I will not repeat this in the future."
The court stated, "There is a public interest necessity to crack down on unauthorized alcohol sales in karaoke practice rooms. A's violation cannot be considered a minor negligence," and added, "Even considering A's circumstances, the district office's sanction cannot be deemed excessive."
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