A Hof Pub with a Metal and Rock Music Concept
"How Much Must They Have Suffered?"
Online Users Express Sympathy
A beer pub in Ulsan has drawn attention for banning entry to Korean men in their 50s and 60s. On June 11, several online communities and social networking services (SNS) shared a photo of a notice posted at a hof pub located on Youth Street in Jung-gu, Ulsan. This pub is known for taking song requests from customers and playing only metal and rock music. Genres such as ballads or pop songs cannot even be requested, as this is a defining concept of the establishment.
Because of this unique feature, the pub is beloved by fans of metal music, but according to online users, frequent conflicts with middle-aged male customers have led to the appearance of such a notice. One user familiar with the pub commented, "The owner here is extremely kind and a true fan of heavy metal. However, there was an incident where some older men asked to play a song by Lim Youngwoong, which led to an argument." After hearing this story, another user wondered, "The shop introduction says 'Korean men in their 50s and 60s and older are not allowed entry.' Did this rule come about because of that incident?"
In response, another user shared a different notice posted at the entrance of the pub. The notice clearly emphasized, "Korean men in their 50s and 60s and older are not allowed entry." The reason given was, "Due to ongoing inconsiderate behavior over the past two years?such as speaking informally, using profanity, loud singing, smoking indoors at will, asking staff to run errands for cigarettes, damaging property, and threatening to leave negative reviews?we have suffered significant mental distress. Therefore, entry is strictly prohibited." The notice also stated, "Entry is truly not allowed. We ask for your understanding," adding that anyone who enters in violation of the rule will be asked to leave immediately.
Online users responded with comments such as, "As a self-employed person, someone requesting a Lim Youngwoong song at a rock caf? is actually cute. That doesn't even count as bad behavior. Banning Korean men in their 50s and 60s is common across various businesses for similar reasons," "This is a 'no ajeossi' zone," "They must have suffered a lot," "I'm also in my 50s, and I understand how the owner feels," and "I wonder what kind of things happened for it to come to this."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
