The National Human Rights Commission stated on the 2nd that the internal regulation of a golf course not accepting new members aged 70 and older constitutes discrimination and recommended a revision.
According to the commission, a man in his 70s, referred to as A, tried to purchase a golf club membership through a golf membership transaction exchange in May of last year. However, an employee of B Company, which operates the golf club, informed him that "people aged 70 and older cannot be accepted as members." A then filed a complaint with the commission, claiming it was an act of discrimination based on age.
B Company explained to the commission that the golf course in question is known for its so-called "up-and-down" difficulties, with many steep slopes, and that there have been continuous safety accidents involving elderly individuals recently. The golf club's operating committee stated that the risk of safety accidents for users aged 70 and older is substantial and thus denied new memberships. B Company also claimed that imposing restrictions on membership eligibility falls under the "freedom of contract" and does not violate sports facility laws.
According to the commission's findings, as of November 14 of last year, there were 1,901 individual members at this golf club, of which 940 (49.4%) were aged 70 and older. There were 27 accidents involving injuries that occurred at the golf club from 2022 to 2024, of which 3 involved individuals aged 70 and older.
Based on this, the commission stated, "It is logically unfounded to directly link age with the possibility of accidents." They also noted that since existing members retain their membership even after turning 70, it is "irrational to uniformly restrict access to the golf club based on the age of 70."
The commission remarked, "It is difficult to deny the correlation with social phenomena such as the negative stereotypes or biases against the elderly that exclude seniors from the use of sports facilities, such as 'No Senior Zone.'" They added, "As our country has already entered an ultra-aged society, it is essential to guarantee and realize the rights of the elderly to actively enjoy culture and leisure."