The allegation that Director General Ji Gwi-yeon of the Seoul Central District Court received alcohol entertainment has emerged from a venue that was revealed to have operated an illegal entertainment establishment in the past and was caught by police enforcement.
According to data received from the Korean National Police Agency and the Seoul city government by Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Yang Bu-nam’s office on the 25th, the A bar in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, which is known to have been visited by Director General Ji, was caught in a crackdown by the Cheongdam police station of Gangnam on January 28, 2014.
The police explained that this bar violated Article 37, Paragraph 1 of the Food Sanitation Act, which stipulates the obligation to obtain a business license from the Minister of Food and Drug Safety or the head of a local government. According to this provision, anyone wishing to operate an entertainment establishment such as a bar or a room salon must obtain a business license appropriate for the purpose and type of operation.
This establishment had been registered and operating as a bar since 1993, but it is reported that it took down its sign and ceased operations after the allegations of Director General Ji's 'room salon entertainment' surfaced. The police and the jurisdictional district office attempted an on-site inspection on the 21st to investigate the employment of entertainment workers, but they turned back as the door was closed.
Meanwhile, Director General Ji is reported to have clarified in materials submitted to the Supreme Court's ethics audit office that the allegations of receiving alcohol entertainment are not true. His court, the 25th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court, is currently handling the trials of individuals indicted in connection with the 12.3 emergency martial law situation, including former President Yoon Suk-yeol.