Lawmaker on crusade against South Korea's 'no-kid zones'

offering cash subsidies, babysitting services and support for infertility treatment, but to no avail

Not surprising since these lukewarm measures do not address the underlying social problems that make families abstain from having children, they are just a nice propaganda tool for politicians to say they are doing something, even if that is pointless.

The male-dominated government may want to boost birth rates, she added, but it would also "prefer it if the noisy, difficult and painful process of raising a child be done separately, somewhere out of sight, on a remote island".

Not to mention that correcting the problem would require huge amounts of resources and putting forward measures that would be very unpopular with the demographics the politicians depend for money and power.

Unfortunately it seems the problem will have to become much worse before it can improve, still best of luck to Yong Hye-in.

I think the problem is common to most heavily urbanized societies and made even worse by the 9-9-6- work culture of some Asian nations. You see low total fertility rates below the 2.1 considered the minimum to maintain a population all across the developed world. Families need time and space to be a family. Living cheek by jowl in a crowded urban environment doesn't lend itself to child rearing. I think it is telling that Okinawa Prefecture has the highest total fertility rate of Japan's 47 prefectures. Life there is more relaxed, people have space and as a result they have families.

Actually, I think that South Korea's "no kid zones" are a good idea. Japan doesn't have this, so wherever one goes in this country, one hears the screaming of infants or, much worse, toddlers having temper tantrums. It's most annoying. The problem is that a lot of Japanese parents don't know how to discipline their small children, and just spoil them by trying to placate them.

Well, there are "no smoking" zones, for people who don't like smoke. What about "kid zones", where families can make as much noise as they like? I don't mind kids in the library, but they same rule for keeping the place silent applies to all. If you need a rest after a days work, where do you go?

The first time South Korean lawmaker Yong Hye-in left the house after giving birth, she ended up in tears when she was denied entry to a cafe because of her baby.

"I felt like I had been expelled from society,".

"I remember crying so much on my way home."

On the other hand she could have just got a grip and stopped being a drama queen, told them to stick their cafe where the sun doesn't shine and gone somewhere else.

I get fed up going to places with screaming babies and kids making a racket with their parents making no effort to control them. Would anyone like to go to a decent restaurant for a romantic meal or an important business meal with a baby screaming all the way through the meal?

What the is wrong with some of you. This woman talks about being rejected from places in society, all because she has a child, and you response is "children are annoying, childfree places are a good idea."

As a woman who has actually birthed children, those little gremlins are attached to you 24/7 especially if you're breastfeeding and have no family help. If society isn't welcoming you feel like sh#t, if you're stuck alone at home all day you feel like sh#t and pretty much give up on having more, hence making the population problem worse.

Would anyone like to go to a decent restaurant for a romantic meal or an important business meal with a baby screaming all the way through the meal?

Yes, I'm okay with it, especially if a parent is trying to calm the baby down. It's certainly no worse than bladdered oyajis bellowing, guffawing and making engine sounds down each other's ear holes from point-blank range. Just think of it as entertainment, and the violinist at your fancy restaurant has taken the day off.

:)

Well children can be annoying of course but look at it another way. Some day, when you are old and lonely, those little ones will be your doctor, or a nurse, or lawyer or a supermarket worker or a farmer or anything that is people that are very needed in society. Now you are tolerating their childish rant and later they will tolerate your rant :D i guess its a fair trade :D

Actually, I think that South Korea's "no kid zones" are a good idea. Japan doesn't have this, so wherever one goes in this country, one hears the screaming of infants or, much worse, toddlers having temper tantrums. It's most annoying. The problem is that a lot of Japanese parents don't know how to discipline their small children, and just spoil them by trying to placate them.

Only someone who has never had children of their own could write something so horrible.

I get fed up going to places with screaming babies and kids making a racket with their parents making no effort to control them. Would anyone like to go to a decent restaurant for a romantic meal or an important business meal with a baby screaming all the way through the meal?

The sound of children is one of life's great joys. Learn to appreciate it. Those children are our mutual future and whether you know it or not they are looking up to us for an example of how to live their lives. Be worthy of their attention !

Desert

There’s a time and place for everything. If you isn’t a fast food joint you expect stuff like creaming kids, common drunk people being loud etc. However, at certain places disruptions caused by any patrons of an age are unacceptable. There are places where a certain type of e avión is acceptable and screaming a nd running about is not. I often attend places where children are not allowed to enter and fo good reason.

Children are great, but are unsuitable for some places which I think should be obvious you see.

My greatest hate is supermarkets which play hideous over loud music, this is now the normal thing in many other shops to. Hence why I shop online except for food.

The child-free zone was created in South Korea because of a court ruling that even if a Korean parent did not discipline their child and caused trouble to others in a restaurant, it was the restaurant's fault.

Since then, some restaurants have refused to allow children to enter.

Restaurants should not be disadvantaged because of their parents' lack of discipline.

Without knowing the history, it is nothing but ignorance to say that Japanese parents cannot discipline their children.

Parents have to be careful if their children are noisy in public places, but not all children listen to what they say, and the job of babies is to cry cheerfully.

If there are people who get angry at each and every one of them, parents will not be able to go out with their children. nonsense