Thread by @allyjung

What a photo. In S.Korea, a growing number of venues like cafes, casual bistros, or even public libraries ban children under the "no kids" banner, supposedly not to inconvenience other patrons. One MP criticized the "exclusionary" practice in a presser, with her toddler in tow.

FYI, South Korea has recorded the lowest birthrates in the world for years, and the increasing prevalence of the public/private spaces enforcing the "no-kids" rule sparked a viral (and bitter) joke, "South Koreans love no-kids zones so much that the whole country has become one."

"In order to boost our birthrate that is the world's lowest, we should first change our society that rejects children," @yong_hyein said. "Children are our fellow citizens who learn about the world for the first time, so they can be slow, clumsy, or inexperienced in everything."

"But all of us are, or were once children...The society we want is not one that is only made for people who are quick, skillful, and experienced - but one where it's okay to be slow, clumsy, or inexperienced," Yong said (apologies for the photo dump, but the child is so cute!😅)

Since the thread is blowing up, here's a bit of shameless self-promotion: Flowers of Fire, which chronicles S.Korea's feminist movement, also explains about no-kids zones, why so many women in S.Korea shun marriage/childbirth, and many more. If interested: penguinrandomhouse.com/books/718956/f…