Pub in Ulsan bans Korean men in their 50s and 60s over 'unruly behavior'

A post on X (formerly known as Twitter) shows a notice at a pub in Ulsan banning Korean men in their 50s and 60s, Tuesday. Captured from X

A pub in the southeastern city of Ulsan has sparked debate after posting a notice banning middle-aged Korean men in their 50s and 60s from entering, citing repeated "unruly behavior."

A photo of the notice posted at the pub on Wednesday, located in Ulsan’s Jung District, circulated on X (formerly Twitter). It reads: “Korean men in their 50s and 60s are strictly prohibited from entering.”

The owner said he made the decision after enduring “two years of mental distress” caused by customers in that age group, including “speaking informally, yelling, cursing, smoking indoors without permission, demanding staff run errands, damaging property and threatening to leave bad reviews.”

The notice continues, “Entry is strictly prohibited. We ask for your understanding. Anyone who enters will be asked to leave.”

According to online users familiar with the venue, the pub specializes in playing heavy metal and rock music by request. Other genres such as ballads and pop songs are not allowed.

One user commented, “The owner is a genuinely kind person who takes metal seriously. Apparently, there was a fight when some middle-aged men demanded he play songs by Lim Young-woong (a popular trot singer).”

Online reactions were largely sympathetic, with comments such as: “As a fellow 50-something, I get it,” “It must’ve been really bad,” “This isn’t even about genre preference anymore — it’s about respecting the space,” and “No ‘ajeossi (middle-aged men) zone’ — and rightly so.”

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.