"Cafes Are Places for Young People," 20s Push Out Elderly

"Cafes Are Places for Young People" Seat Request
Netizens Angry: "What Does Age Have to Do with Using a Cafe?"

A post claiming that women in their 20s forced a woman in her 60s to give up her seat at a cafe has sparked controversy on the 31st. The woman in her 60s, who was the victim, reportedly received help from surrounding customers who could no longer tolerate the absurd claims.

Recently, a post titled "Anger boils over at the ridiculous claims of the MZ generation" has been actively shared on social networking services (SNS).

A post claiming that women in their 20s forced a woman in her 60s to give up her seat at a cafe has sparked controversy. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article.
[Photo by Kang Jin-hyung]

According to the post, the incident occurred on the 9th of last month at a cafe. At that time, the cafe was fully occupied with many customers, and next to the writer, Ms. A, sat a woman in her 60s, Ms. B, who was organizing her diary.

Then, two young women who appeared to be in their early 20s entered the cafe and, while looking for a seat, approached Ms. B. They told her, "Cafes are places where young people often come," and "The seats are all taken right now, so could you please get up?"

When Ms. B was flustered and unsure of what to do, they insisted again, saying, "We have urgent work to do. Please give up your seat." Ms. B hurriedly began packing her belongings, and eventually, surrounding customers who could no longer stand it stepped in and scolded them. Their demand was not only unreasonable but also offensive, especially since there is no age restriction for using the cafe.

A cafe in a large shopping mall in downtown Seoul is bustling with citizens.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Ms. A said, "I took the initiative and intervened, so the surrounding customers supported me," adding, "When they faced the complaints, they showed uncomfortable expressions and left the cafe."

She continued, "The lady seemed very shocked," and expressed discomfort, saying, "What does age have to do with using a cafe?"

As the story spread online, netizens responded with comments such as, "She paid the same money for coffee, so that seat naturally belongs to her," "This is not an issue with the MZ generation, but simply that those two lack common sense," and "Do you think you won't grow old?"