In South Korea there is discussion of “no-kids” zones.

In South Korea, the child-free areas ” OR ” zones forbidden to children » have flourished in space and have been deeply rooted in customs for more than ten years.

Thus, as reported in a CNN article broadcast by Geothere are hundreds of perimeters forbidden to them, spread over 500 sites, be they parks, cafes or restaurants, to guarantee a certain tranquility for customers.

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However, some voices are beginning to raise against this practice, in a context where the birth rate is so low that the South Korean government rewards some women for giving birth to a child, as reported by Al Jazeera.

A bill on Jeju Island

Indeed, it is through the voice of Yong Hye-inmother, but also a legislator, that the debate reignited in the country, when she decided one day to bring her two-year-old child to Parliament, a place that is a child-free zone: “Everyday life with children is not easy (…) Our society must be reborn into a society where children are included”he told CNN.

A stance which was followed by a debate started on the island of Jeju, a region that has almost 80 zones Without children. On the island, a bill aims to make these areas illegal. If the legislation is passed, it would apply only to this region of Korea.

But it could also inspire others. While some believe that the ban on ‘no-kid-zones’ benefits tourism, as this ARTE report shows, others, beyond the simple economic argument, see no-kid-zones as an act of age discrimination. Which goes against the Korean constitution.

Koreans are still largely in favor of child-free zones

However, child-free areas remain particularly popular. A Hankook Research survey found that in 2021, 7 out of 10 Koreans he stated that he is still in favor of “no-kid zones”.

And some parents are okay with this practice themselves. They find it surprising as it may seem, parents with children also share the same opinion. The latter believe that, on behalf of “ peace and quiet”these areas are “ justified ” AND “ reasonable “says the American newspaper.

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