Foreign Media Also Focus on Korean Ajumma: "There Are Gyms in Korea Where Ajumma Are Not Allowed"

"Criticism of Being Narrow-Minded Toward a Specific Age Group"

A gym located in Incheon drew attention from foreign media for posting a notice stating 'No entry for Ajumma.'

The notice not only has the phrase "No Ajummas Allowed" written in red letters but also contains the somewhat absurd statement "Only Cultured and Elegant Women Allowed." Furthermore, right below it, there is a list of eight items titled "How to Distinguish Between Ajummas and Women."
[Photo by JTBC Sagoenbanjang]

On the 14th (local time), the British BBC reported, "A gym in Incheon city posted a notice saying 'No entry for Ajumma, only cultured and elegant women allowed.' Generally, in Korea, 'Ajumma' refers to women in their late 30s or older, but it is also used to express disdain for rude or unpleasant behavior," it explained.

It continued, "Some members of Korean society show narrow-mindedness toward certain age groups. The Incheon gym also received criticism for wrongly pointing out the behavior of women of a certain age," adding, "The 'No entry for Ajumma' policy was implemented at one gym, but in recent years, some stores in Korea have banned children or elderly people from entering certain places."

BBC also noted, "The gym's 'No entry for Ajumma' measure gained support from some people," but added, "Older men can also exhibit bad behavior, so there is no need to single out women." It introduced comments from Korean online communities such as, "How can bad customers and Ajumma be seen as the same?" and "Anyone who has worked in the service industry knows that bad customers are not only older women."

Previously, the gym owner A in Incheon caused controversy not only by posting the notice 'No entry for Ajumma, only cultured and elegant women allowed' but also by presenting criteria to distinguish between Ajumma and women. According to the gym's definition of Ajumma, the characteristics include: ▲liking free things regardless of age ▲being unaware of why they are criticized despite being scolded everywhere ▲sitting in priority seats for pregnant women on public transportation ▲coming to a coffee shop in pairs, ordering one coffee, and asking for extra cups ▲secretly disposing of food waste in public restrooms or toilets ▲being stingy with their own money but not caring about others' money ▲repeating what they said over and over due to poor memory and judgment ▲falling down and expecting help only from the Lord, distinguishing them from women.

The gym also shared their story. They claimed to have experienced many troubles during gym operations. There were cases where troublesome customers brought laundry to the gym and washed it for a long time or left the water running while gossiping about others. They also complained about incidents of sexual harassment remarks directed at young female members in the shower room.