South Korean lawmaker wants 'no kids' zones banned despite public support for them
In South Korea, children are not allowed in many bars and restaurants because they are noisy and annoying. Jeju Island, a major tourist resort with the highest concentration of no-go areas for children, began a debate on the matter in February. In some bars, signs say no middle-aged people or couples.
Seoul (AsiaNews) – A lawmaker’s call for an end to “no-kids” zones has sparked a controversy in South Korea.
Yong Hye-in is a member of the country’s National Assembly for the Basic Income Party, which broke away from the Labour Party. In a speech in the house while holding her two-year-old son, she said that many restaurants and public places ban children without any good reason.
One such place is the National Library of Korea, which accepts visitors aged 16 and older to protect materials from theft and damage, this according to its website.
“What we want is a society that embraces not only the fast and the competent, but also the slow and the inexperienced,” Ms Yong told her fellow lawmakers. “In order to overcome one of the lowest fertility rates in the world, we must overhaul the society that rejects children and the elderly,”
Not everyone agrees, including some parents. According to a 2021 survey, 71 per cent of the respondents believed it was the right of business owners to turn their venues into “no-kid zones”. Only 17 per cent said such a policy was “unacceptable”.
It is mostly young people between 20 and 30 who agree with the ban on children, while the older South Koreans believe that it is normal for children to make noise in public places.
South Korea’s "no-kids" zones emerged about a decade ago after some people began posting complaints online about parents not minding their children.
The latest round in the controversy dates back to February, when Jeju Island, a tourist resort, started a public debate on the issue.
The island, which is visited by 10 million visitors a year, currently has the highest concentration of bars and restaurants that ban access to children under 13.
According to a user-generated map on Google Maps, South Korea has more than 500 "no-kids" zones. Constantly updated, the map is used to find family-friendly places.
In 2017, the National Human Rights Commission of (South) Korea recommended that no-go zones for children be banned for violating their rights.
After "no-kids" zones appeared, signs began popping up in many parts of South Korea banning access to bars for other groups, like men over 40 or 50. Some netizens also reported “no middle-aged zones” and “no professor zones”.
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