Gym sparks fury with sign saying 'only elegant women are allowed'

A gym in South Korea has been slammed for putting up a sign that read 'only elegant women allowed' in an apparent attempt to exclude older women from using the premises.

The gym, which is located in the city of Incheon, near the capital city Seoul, put up a sign that read 'off limits to ajummas'.

'Ajumma' is a widely used term in Korean to refer to women aged in their late 30s or older but can also be used to describe rude or obnoxious behaviour.

Local reports did not name the gym or its owner, who was quick to defend putting up the notice, citing the claim that his business had 'suffered damages' because of these women and their unruly behaviour.

Speaking in an interview with South Korean news agency Yonhap, via BBC News, he said: '[Some older customers who are women] would spend an hour or two in the changing room to do their laundry [and] steal items including towels, soaps, or hair dryers'.

A gym in South Korea has been slammed for putting up a sign that read 'only elegant women allowed'

He added that they would also 'sit in a row and comment and judge other people's bodies'. 

The owner also pointed out that some younger women chose to relinquish their  memberships because they were made upset or uncomfortable by the comments.

He continued: 'It's not that I tried to make a hate comment against older women or women in general' 

'I think people who are enraged by [the notice] are in fact the ones with the problem.'

While the owner defended his actions, the gym has also been criticised by users on social media for assuming that such examples bad behaviour were associated women of a certain age.

One comment on local platform instiz read: 'How did the term ''bad customer'' become the same as ''ajumma?'''.

'If you have worked in the service industry, you'd know that it's not just older women who fall into those categories.'

Another comment said the decision was a sign of outdated attitudes, describing it as being related to 'sentiments of the early 2000s'.

In response, the gym defended itself by saying that an additional notice was penned - one that attempted to make a distinction between 'ajummas' and women. 

File image of a young woman working out in a gym using a dumbbell

It says that the former had a liking for 'free stuff regardless of their age', while accusing them of being 'stingy with their own money but not with other people's'.

Although there has been widespread backlash to the notice, some people did support the move - seemingly associating bad manners with middle-aged women. 

Commenters hounded them for being 'territorial' and 'senseless'.

Another posted to YouTube read: 'The ladies are annoying... They take their kids to restaurants and cafes. They are oblivious and abusive'.

Individuals who supported the gym's actions also referenced children, accusing these women of taking up excessive space or attention in public.

South Korea has been notorious for setting uncompromising standards when it comes to women and their behaviours, which has seen them responding by championing short hair and singledom. 

File image of a young woman wiping away sweating after exercising in a gym

Justifying their actions, many women say that South Korean men are rarely judged for similar behaviour.

Commenting on the controversy, a psychology professor said that the gym did not need to single out women at all, as he argued that older men are just as likely to behave badly.

Speaking to television network JTBC, Park Sang-hee said: 'Older men behave the same'. 

'Older men also obsess over free stuff and repeat themselves over and over again. Rude behaviours are not exclusive to older women.'