A Los Angeles city councilwoman is pushing to temporarily halt new karaoke-room permits in Koreatown while directing $75,000 toward police overtime to investigate existing businesses.
Councilwoman Heather Hutt, who represents the 10th District covering Koreatown and nearby neighborhoods, introduced the motion Wednesday. It calls for a 45-day moratorium on new karaoke permits, with an option to extend the freeze for up to a year. The proposal would not shut down karaoke bars already operating.
Instead, the money would go to LAPD’s Olympic Division, which patrols Koreatown, to fund overtime for officers investigating suspected vice activity and enforcing permit rules at businesses already in operation. The $75,000 would be pulled from Council District 10 redevelopment funds and shifted into the department’s sworn-officer overtime budget.
Hutt’s motion argues that karaoke rooms have spread across Koreatown faster than the city’s permitting and enforcement systems can manage.
A History of Complaints
The proposal follows years of reported problems at some establishments. In 2023, LAPD Olympic Division officers met with more than 20 karaoke business owners to warn them about illegal after-hours operations, prostitution, drug activity and suspected tax evasion, according to the Korea Daily. Officers also flagged concerns about credit-card terminals registered under names other than the business operators.
In 2024, 104 residents and business owners objected to a karaoke establishment at 3300 W. 8th Street, citing late-night disturbances, intoxicated customers and allegations of illegal activity. One elderly resident said she could hear drunken patrons from inside her apartment at night, and another neighbor alleged customers sometimes left the business without clothing. The Korea Daily reported LAPD records showed 11 arrests at that address for selling alcohol without a license during the pandemic.
What the Ban Would Do
Under Hutt’s motion, the city’s Planning Department would draft new regulations for karaoke businesses covering public safety, transparency, worker protections and operating standards. The motion also requests an urgency clause so the emergency ordinance could take effect as quickly as legally possible once approved.
The Post reported it reached out to Hutt’s office for comment.
The motion now goes to the City Council’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee. If it passes committee review, it would then require a vote from the full City Council before any ban could take effect.
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