Paju-si Conducts Largest Administrative Enforcement on Sex Trade District

Partial Demolition Completed for 9 Buildings Centered on Waiting Rooms in Commercial Spaces

Paju City in Gyeonggi Province carried out administrative enforcement by issuing an administrative execution warrant and forcibly demolishing illegal buildings within the Yeonpung-ri red-light district.

Paju City is carrying out administrative enforcement by issuing an administrative execution warrant and forcibly demolishing illegal buildings within the Yeonpung-ri red-light district. Photo by Paju City

According to Paju City on the 3rd, despite repeated administrative execution warnings and voluntary correction orders for illegal buildings within the red-light district, those who did not comply were subject to the largest-scale administrative enforcement, mobilizing a total of 636 personnel over four days, including 260 contracted workers, 20 city officials, and cooperating personnel from the fire station and Paju Police Station.

From November 25 to 28, Paju City deployed demolition personnel and equipment to carry out administrative enforcement on a total of 14 illegal buildings, including six buildings currently in operation, focusing on partial demolition of nine buildings’ waiting rooms used as business spaces.

Many of the buildings targeted in this administrative enforcement were still in operation, leading to fierce resistance from workers. Among them, one business owner confronted the police while armed with a weapon, resulting in an incident where one police officer sustained a self-inflicted injury during the subduing process.

Of the 14 illegal buildings listed for enforcement by Paju City, demolition of the waiting rooms attached to nine buildings was completed, excluding one business building where the weapon incident occurred and four buildings where the owners voluntarily carried out partial demolition before enforcement.

Since the first administrative enforcement on November 1, 2023, a total of seven rounds of administrative enforcement have been conducted on 22 illegal buildings, with five buildings fully corrected and partial demolition completed on 17 buildings. Additionally, 40 illegal buildings have been voluntarily corrected by their owners, of which 19 were fully corrected and 21 partially demolished.

A Paju City official stated, “We will continue to strengthen inspections and crackdowns on illegal buildings within the red-light district, and for those who do not comply with voluntary demolition, we will impose compulsory fines according to prior plans and continue administrative enforcement.”

Paju City added that through continuous administrative enforcement and victories in administrative lawsuits, an atmosphere of voluntary demolition and business closure among building owners in the red-light district is spreading.