National Assembly lawmaker sparks controversy by wearing dress

Posted on : 2020-08-10 18:10 KST Modified on : 2020-08-10 18:10 KST
Women show support on social media, complaining of pressure from superiors over attire
Justice Party lawmaker Ryu Ho-jeong holds a video chat with Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wang in June. (Kang Chang-kwang, staff photographer)
Justice Party lawmaker Ryu Ho-jeong holds a video chat with Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wang in June. (Kang Chang-kwang, staff photographer)

“If I come to work in jeans, I hear about it. If I come wearing a skirt, they tell me, ‘You shouldn’t be wearing a short skirt with your figure.’”

“It’s not like I’m showing up for work in shorts or a miniskirt, but the comments are too much. If I wear a coat, they tell me not to. If I come with a handbag, they say things like, ‘That looks one of those market bags that middle-aged women carry.’”

The recent criticisms faced by Justice Party lawmaker Ryu Ho-jeong over a dress she wore at the National Assembly has sparked an outpouring of sympathy and solidarity from women who have also faced punishment for their workplace attire. On Aug. 9, social media posts were flooded by female users complaining about “comments” in the workplace over the clothes they wear.

Some of them posted photos of themselves wearing dresses to work like Ryu as a gesture of support. Others said they had petitioned the National Assembly to deliver an authoritative interpretation on whether Ryu’s outfit constituted a violation of the “duty to maintain dignity” in Article 25 of the National Assembly Act, as some have claimed.

Justice Party lawmaker Ryu Ho-jeong ignites controversy by wearing a dress during a National Assembly session on July 4. (Yonhap New)
Justice Party lawmaker Ryu Ho-jeong ignites controversy by wearing a dress during a National Assembly session on July 4. (Yonhap New)

On Aug. 9, the civic group Gapjil 119 shared stories of the comments that women have heard about their clothing in the workplace. The results showed that many female workers are facing demands to wear “appropriate” outfits to suit the tastes of their employers or superiors. In some cases, workers are barred from wearing long pants or otherwise asked to dress in feminine attire to the point that such demands detract from workplace efficiency. Others reported hearing criticisms of their clothing and cosmetics that were unrelated to their duties, such as being told “not to wear skirts higher than three centimeters above the knee.” One described being told, “Your lipstick looks like you ate a rat.” In a few cases, the clothing comments crossed the line into the realm of sexual harassment, as when female employees were told that they were “fleshier than I thought” or that their “bottom has gotten plump.”

The clothing comments were shown to be connected to widespread practices of sexism in all areas of society. In January 2019, a controversy erupted after reports that a Korea Billiards Federation judging committee chairperson had issued clothing requirements specifically for female judges, insisting that they “wear skirts, especially when it’s a recorded broadcast.” The Seoul Metropolitan Government suspended use of training videos after a controversy erupted over sexist content in a teaching plan for an employment and startup program for 2018 New Deal Jobs participants, including questions about the “appropriateness” of lipstick colors.

“Comments about clothing constitute a form of harassment in the workplace, and may correspond to

or misconduct in the workplace, depending the language used,” Gapjil 119 said.

By Park Yoon-kyung, staff reporter

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