Dear editor,

This letter is in response to an Oct. 14 Korea Times article, "Naturalized Korean decries refusal of entry to sauna."

The article is about the refusal of entry to a sauna for a naturalized female citizen. That such a situation could exist today is sad and shocking and should be of concern to many ― tourists, investors, long-term foreign residents and naturalized citizens of foreign origin ― as well as to those who claim this society is moving well ahead with globalization.

It is certainly the right time for the enactment of a law to prohibit any form of embarrassing discrimination on the basis of race. It is no longer the time to perpetuate prejudice against "foreigners," whatever their background or reason for being in Korea. It is the moment to put nice words of welcoming others into practice.

Korea surely can do better toward the day when the presence of a foreigner at a sauna is no longer seen as making "water in a bathtub dirty."