In South Korea, there is a nationwide debate over no-child zones, which have proliferated over the past decade. Some people are now pointing out that this might be a problem for the nation with the world's lowest birth rate.
But as CNN reports, it isn't just bans on children that are proliferating:
Meanwhile, it would be wrong to suggest that it is only the youngest in society who are subject to such “zoning” requirements.CNN found one Korean studies professor with a theory:
On Jeju, it’s not unusual to see signs at camping grounds or guest houses stipulating both lower and upper age limits for would-be guests. There are “no-teenager zones” and “no-senior zones”, for example, and even plenty of zones targeting those somewhere in between.
So numerous have the “no-middle-aged zones” become that they have collectively been dubbed “no-ajae zones,” in reference to a slang term for “uncle.”
One restaurant in Seoul rose to notoriety after “politely declining” people over 49 (on the basis men of that age might harass female staff), while in 2021, a camping ground in Jeju sparked heated debate with a notice saying it did not accept reservations from people aged 40 or above. Citing a desire to keep noise and alcohol use to a minimum, it stated a preference for women in their 20s and 30s.
Other zones are even more niche.
Among those to have caused a stir on social media are a cafe in Seoul that in 2018 declared itself a “no-rapper zone,” a “no-YouTuber zone” and even a “no-professor zone”.
But most such zones follow a similar logic – that of preventing disturbance to other customers. For instance, no-YouTuber zones became popular in response to a trend known as “mukbang” (based on words for “eating” and “broadcast”) in which some livestreamers would show up at restaurants without prior consent to film themselves eating.
Koreans in their 20s and 30s, in particular, tend to have a strong concept of personal space, and are increasingly less tolerant of both noisy children in their midst and noisy older people.
Which is something I have noted about Japan, a preference for a controlled, orderly life that pretty much rules out childbearing and much else besides.
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"Koreans in their 20s and 30s, in particular, tend to have a strong concept of personal space, and are increasingly less tolerant of both noisy children in their midst and noisy older people."
Which is something I have noted about Japan, a preference for a controlled, orderly life that pretty much rules out childbearing and much else besides.
One detail that leaps immediately to my mind is the fact that in both South Korea and Japan, people in their 20s and 30s largely cannot afford to own homes, and even renting is so pricey that many end up living in small-yet-still-expensive apartment units crammed together like sardines in a can.
When people don't have enough space, they get very protective of what little they have. So to my mind, if you wanted to push a segment of society to be obsessed about personal space and orderly lives to the point that they reject the imperative to have children, the perfect way to do it would be to price them out of housing with enough space to allow them to live comfortably enough to not be sensitive about personal space, etc.
If these countries actually care about falling birth rates, then they need a revolution in housing, giving people ample space at a price they can afford. People simply aren't going to try to raise families in tin cans that cost most of their monthly wages just to rent.
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