"Bathhouse Charged Higher Fees Only to Women Over 'Towel Losses'... Human Rights Commission's Ruling"

Separate Towel Fees Charged Only to Non-Member Female Customers

Human Rights Commission: "Holding All Women Responsible for the Actions of a Few"

An injunction has been placed on a public bathhouse that charged only non-member female customers separate fees for towels and soap, citing frequent towel losses in the women's bath area.

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On August 13, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea announced that it had recommended improvements to the business conditions of a bathhouse that provided both member and non-member male customers with free towels and soap, while charging only non-member female customers additional fees. The commission further recommended that the head of the relevant local government authorities strengthen administrative guidance for public bathhouses in the area.

The business owner stated that frequent towel loss in the women's bath area left them with no other choice but to implement such measures. The local government also explained that several bathhouses in the region operate in similar ways and that current laws do not require operators to provide towels for free. However, the Human Rights Commission considered that, even if towels and soap have been lost more often in women's bath areas, this is an issue caused by some users and cannot be a reason to hold all female customers collectively responsible. The commission saw this as an overgeneralization by applying group accountability to all women customers.

The commission also pointed out that the business had not adequately considered alternative ways to prevent towel loss. It noted that there are options such as collecting a deposit when lending towels, strengthening the return process, or affixing soap to the facilities, but the business instead chose to impose different conditions only on female customers, which was problematic.

The local government was held accountable for its supervision and management duties. The commission clarified that, even without direct punitive authority, authorities should not tolerate situations in which charges or conditions of use differ based on gender. In businesses like public bathhouses, which are commonly used by the public, all customers should be able to use the facilities under equal conditions, regardless of gender.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.