Fitness center rejecting senior citizen is age discrimination: rights commission

A fitness center’s rejection of the annual membership application of a 68-year-old senior citizen is an act of age discrimination, the state human rights commission stated Tuesday.

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea announced that it had recommended the fitness center, which was not named, to revise its internal policies that prevent seniors aged 65 and older from obtaining annual gym memberships.

The complainant had been using the club for the past 5 years by purchasing one-time passes. Earlier this year, the person applied for an annual membership priced at 3 million won ($2,174). However, the gym rejected their application, citing “safety reasons.”

“Although we have safety guards at our swimming pool and other gym facilities, safety-related accidents involving older people are still prevalent. It is difficult to respond to such accidents, which is why we decided to implement the age cap,” the fitness club said.

The NHRCK ruled that it was unreasonable for the gym to deny the senior user’s access to the venue, saying the rate of safety accidents at sports facilities does not necessarily correlate with users’ age.

“Given that the gym center allowed some senior members, who joined its annual membership before they turned to 64, to keep their membership after the age of 65, its latest rejection of the senior's application is unreasonable,” the commission said.

The commission further noted that if age-based entry restrictions are not corrected, other commercial facilities may follow suit and exclude senior citizens. However, the NHRCK can only make recommendations, as its decisions are not legally binding.