'NO Gyosujon' Appears... "Professors Forbidden, Please Do Not Reveal Your Identity in Our Store"

A notice from a bar near Pusan National University posted on Twitter on the 2nd. / Photo by Online Community Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] Recently, the number of 'No OO Zones' that prohibit the entry of specific groups, such as 'No Kids Zone', 'No Pets Zone', and 'No School Zone', has increased significantly, sparking controversy. Now, a new 'No Gyosu Zone' (No Professor Zone) has emerged, refusing entry to professors, drawing public attention.

The 'No OO Zones', created on the grounds that certain groups cause inconvenience to other customers, have sparked sharply divided opinions among netizens. Supporters argue that "restricting some for the sake of the majority is the business owner's choice." On the other hand, opponents express concerns that such measures become "grounds for discrimination" by excluding specific ages or groups.

In fact, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) ruled in 2017 that age-based restrictions like 'No Kids Zone' are unreasonable and constitute child discrimination. Regarding a case in November 2016 involving Mr. A, who operated a No Kids Zone restaurant in Jeju Island, the NHRCK found that running a No Kids Zone violated Article 2, Clause 3 of the National Human Rights Commission Act. This clause defines discriminatory treatment based on gender, religion, age, appearance, etc., without reasonable grounds as a violation of the right to equality.

◆ Professor Entry Ban... Controversy Over 'No Gyosu Zone' Bar

Recently, on social media platforms, controversy arose over a notice posted by a bar in Busan declaring itself a 'NO PROFESSOR ZONE'. The bar stated, "For the comfort of other customers, regular full-time university professors are kindly asked to refrain from entering," and added, "If you do enter, please absolutely refrain from loudly announcing your status."

According to The Hankyoreh, Mr. A, who runs the bar, explained the reason for posting the 'No Gyosu Zone' sign: "After operating the establishment, there were three so-called 'problematic customers,' all of whom were university professors." He said the reason he found out their occupation was because they said, "I am a professor here."

He also said he considered the 'No OO Zone' as a form of hatred and reflected on the 'No Gyosu Zone' as well. He stated, "It is an expression of hatred toward the rudeness of shouting 'I am the boss'." He added, "I often saw graduate student customers stressed by excessive work and professors' abuse of power," and "I wanted to ensure that customers who came to relax at the bar would not have to encounter their supervising professors."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.