LA moves to put karaoke rooms on ice with emergency ban, police crackdown

Los Angeles’ booming Koreatown karaoke scene could soon hit a sour note, with a city councilwoman pushing an emergency ban on new singing rooms and a $75,000 police crackdown on existing businesses.Councilwoman Heather Hutt, who represents Koreatown and surrounding neighborhoods in the city’s 10th District, introduced a motion Wednesday calling for a 45-day moratorium on new karaoke-room permits, with the possibility of extending the freeze for another year.The proposal would also funnel $75,000 into LAPD overtime to investigate suspected vice activity and enforce permit rules at existing establishments in the Olympic Division, which patrols Koreatown.Hutt’s motion points to the rapid spread of karaoke rooms across Koreatown, saying the city’s permitting and enforcement systems have struggled to keep up.And some establishments have been hitting the wrong notes for years.In 2023, LAPD Olympic Division officers gathered more than 20 karaoke business owners and warned them about illegal after-hours operations, prostitution, drug activity and suspected tax evasion, according to the Korea Daily.Police also raised concerns about businesses using credit-card terminals registered under other people’s names.The following year, 104 residents and business owners opposed a karaoke establishment at 3300 W.8th Street, complaining about late-night disturbances, intoxicated customers and allegations of illegal operations.One elderly resident complained that drunken patrons could be heard from inside her apartment at night, while another neighbor alleged that customers sometimes emerged from the business without clothing.The Korea Daily also reported that LAPD records showed 11 arrests at the address for selling alcohol without a license during the pandemic.Under her proposal, City Planning would develop new regulations governing karaoke businesses, including public safety requirements, transparency, worker protections and operating standards.The motion also calls for an ...