Seoul gets rid of women-only parking spaces

 

In a move critics say is the latest example of anti-feminist policies in South Korea, Seoul is getting rid of women-only parking spaces, 14 years after they were introduced following a spate of violent crimes in basement car parks.

Such spots, initially instated as a protection for women, aren't necessary anymore, city officials say. They will be converted to family parking spots, with the city government planning to start the conversion at the end of March.

"I feel safer when I use them, that there are not so many dangerous people close by," 55-year-old Chung Eun-Jung said. Her daughter expressed her disappointment at the fact that her mother would now feel less safe.

"It is not like half the car park is dedicated to women; it is only a few spots," said 27-year-old Park Young-seo.

In the capital city of Seoul, public car parks with over 30 spaces were required to allocate 10% to women. In an effort to prevent women from walking long distances through basements in the dark, these allocated spaces tended to be near building entrances.

More than two-thirds of violent crimes committed in Seoul's car parks were rape, sexual assault, and harassment, government figures in 2021 revealed.

With the new move, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is reversing his own policy.

Pregnant women and people travelling with children will be allowed to use the new family parking spots.

Such a controversial move adds a boost to what critics call a culture of anti-feminism that has characterised the Asian country's politics over the past few years. A growing number of South Korean men argue that policies designed for the benefit of women are discriminatory.

In addition to removing the term 'gender equality' from its school ethics curriculum, the current government is also trying to close its gender equality ministry.

34-year-old male pilot Cho Young-Jae said the women-only spaces "do discriminate against men," adding "walking 100 metres more does not make you less safe" as parking areas are now covered in surveillance cameras.