'Room cafes' stipulated as inappropriate for teens

"Room cafes" have been stipulated as a business that teenagers must stay away from, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said Wednesday.

The designation was made in an amended administrative notice posted on Wednesday, which listed room cafes as a business that minors, those aged 19 and under, are banned from entering or being employed at.

Under the notice, which was established in 2011, businesses deemed inappropriate for minors are defined as those that provide toilets, bedding, beds, audiovisual equipment, or sex-related equipment in closed rooms or enclosed spaces.

According to the Youth Protection Law, businesses stipulated in the notice must attach signs that show the store prohibits entry of adolescents, and cannot hire them as employees.

If the business owner does not attach the sign or allows teens in to the store, the owner can be sentenced to up to two years in prison or fined up to 20 million won ($15,300). If the owner hires a teenager, he or she can be sentenced up to three years in prison or fined up to 30 million won.

The revised notice will be put up for 20 days until April 4 for public consultation and will be finalized after deliberation by the Commission on Youth Protection under the Gender Ministry.