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A photo of a young parliamentarian wearing a short dress to go to work toured South Korea, sparking debate.
Ryu Ho-jeong, 28, member of the Justice Party in South Korea, did not think he was being called a "call girl" or "https://www.aufeminin.com/" bar hostess. His 'crime' was to wear a dress at work, that is to say at the National Assembly.
She has faced a generational and cultural divide in a society that is largely conservative on social norms.
"The work of an MP is a public service that all citizens keep an eye on, so they should stick to the performance of their duties," Jung Yoojin, a university student in the country, told ABC News. "Even the students dress formally when making presentations in class. Showing up in a red dress appears to be an action that runs counter to national sentiment."
To defend herself, the parliamentarian declared that "the authority of the National Assembly is not built on the wearing of a costume". "The National Assembly is based on middle-aged men, I wanted to break this practice of dark suits and ties by wearing casual clothes," the politician told ABC News.
"For me, the National Assembly is a place of work. I wear what I believe is comfortable to work," she added. This nondescript dress could have been worn by any other businesswoman her age, which is why she chose to wear it to work.
Ninety-seven percent of lawmakers are over 40, only 3% are under 30, and over 84% are men, data cited in the National Election Commission report.
“Korean people tend to regard the National Assembly as a serious and solemn place of power. There are also vestiges of formality that still dominate this society,” said Lee Joohee, director of the department's Career Development Center. of Sociology at Ewha Women's University, also at ABC News.
Fortunately, for another part of the youth, Ryu Ho-jeong's outfit is a step towards them. A form of modernity.