District Office Explains "Compromise on Conflicting Complaints"
Concerns Raised Over Reduction of Children's Park Area
Recently, a photo of a banner reading "Please refrain from playing ball games" posted in a children's park in Seoul has been spreading on social networking services (SNS), drawing mixed reactions from netizens. While some criticize the request to refrain from ball games in a children's park as unreasonable, others point out that the root issue is the lack of spaces for children to run and play.
On the 10th, a photo of a banner posted at 'Apsan Children's Park' in a residential area of Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, was uploaded on X (formerly Twitter). The banner read, "Please refrain from ball games such as soccer and baseball in the children's park," along with a note stating, "Neighbors are distressed by the noise of bouncing balls." The post was attributed to the Yangcheon District Office.
This banner photo spread across various online communities, sparking heated debates among netizens. Most criticisms focused on the idea that "it is absurd to prohibit children from playing with balls in a children's park," but on the other hand, some opinions noted, "Noise from parks in densely populated residential areas is considerable," and "What crime have the public officials suffering from complaints committed?"
There were also criticisms that the banner itself, calling for "refraining from ball games," was excessive. Some netizens responded with comments such as "The statement is contradictory," "Just remove the term 'children's park,'" and "What is wrong with children playing like children?" One netizen criticized, "Now the sound of children laughing in playgrounds has disappeared," adding, "All of this is due to adults' selfishness."
The number of children's parks in Seoul has steadily decreased over the past 10 years
A children's park near Yangcheon-gu. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. [Photo by Yangcheon-gu Office]
The Yangcheon District Office explained that conflicting complaints regarding children's parks have been raised. A district office official told a media outlet, "We receive complaints both asking to ban children's ball games and questioning why ball games are prohibited," adding, "We compromised between the two sides and put up a banner asking for 'refrainment'." Since it is not possible to ban ball games in children's parks, the banner requests that people be mindful not to make excessive noise while playing.
One netizen suggested the idea of restricting ball games during certain hours. However, a district office official said, "If ball games are restricted by time, it could have the adverse effect of limiting children's playtime by time slots," and added, "This is an issue that requires gathering residents' opinions." The official further noted, "In densely populated residential areas, small children's parks are the only breathing space for children," and "With the reduced external opening hours of nearby schools, children effectively have no place to run and play."
In fact, the area of children's parks where children can run and play in Seoul has been decreasing every year. According to statistics released by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the number of children's parks in Seoul peaked at 1,301 in 2013 and has decreased annually to 1,248 in 2022.
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