Seoul City promotes kids-friendly restaurants

In an interview with The Dong-A Ilbo on Tuesday, a restaurant owner named Park Seok-won (42) stated that his Italian restaurant in Seoul's Yongsan District has seen a recent increase in visits from families with infants, averaging four to five times a week. This is in addition to his main customer groups of students and professors, as the store is conveniently located near a college in the area.

Park attributed the recent influx of visiting families to a small, yellow palm-sized sticker he placed on the restaurant door in December. The sticker, which reads "Seoul Kids Okay Zone," along with the subheading "Project Happiness For Mommies and Daddies," seems to have been the catalyst for their increased interest.

The sticker is part of the "Seoul Kids Okay Zone" campaign initiated by the Seoul city government to address the low fertility rate through its "Project Happiness For Mommies and Daddies." Since 2022, the government has designated these restaurants as kid-friendly zones and distributed stickers, creating a comfortable environment for children and their parents. In contrast to "No-Kids Zones," where children are not permitted, these designated establishments aim to offer a pleasant dining experience for families with young children.

Park proactively prepared items like kid's chairs and crayons in his restaurant as it gained popularity and welcomed more families with infants. He emphasized his intention to contribute to creating a social consensus where children, who are becoming scarcer, receive a warm welcome.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government inspects and designates restaurants as Seoul Kids Okay Zones based on specific criteria, including kids' menus, baby kitchenware, chairs, and store size. Within a month of accepting applications starting last September, over 349 stores joined the project. In just nine months, the number exceeded 500, and currently, there are 504 designated Seoul Kids Okay Zones. Participating establishments range from restaurants and snack bars to coffee shops and dessert places. The city government offers participants subsidies of 300,000 won for purchasing children-related items.

Stores joined the campaign for various reasons. City government statistics reveal that some participants aim to show respect and care for children during the low birthrate era, while others seek to boost profits by attracting more family customers. Jeong Hyeon-woo (43), the owner of a Korean BBQ restaurant in Seoul's Jung-gu District, joined as he is a father of a six-year-old and appreciates the growing number of participating restaurants. Jeong hopes that all stores across the country will eventually become welcoming zones for kids.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government intends to further expand the project, specifically emphasizing restaurants in areas with a higher demand for family dining. Beginning in the latter half of 2023, the city government will remove the registration period and allow district offices to accept applications throughout the year. Citizens can find the locations of participating stores through the Smart Seoul Map (map.seoul.go.kr).


sunrise@donga.com