Ryu Ho-jeong's One-Piece Dress for a Month... National Assembly "Controversy Over Female Lawmakers' Attire Linked to Sexism"

National Assembly Legislative Research Office Proposes Establishing 'Minimalist Regulations' on Lawmakers' Attire

Ryu Ho-jeong, a Justice Party lawmaker, is briefly leaving the plenary session held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 4th of last month. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Seunggon Han, Intern Reporter Seulgi Kim] On the 4th of last month, Ryu Ho-jeong, a Justice Party lawmaker, caused controversy by attending the National Assembly plenary session wearing a red dress. About a month later, today (the 2nd), the National Assembly Research Service proposed that "a 'minimalist regulation' on the attire of lawmakers should be established."

On this day, the National Assembly Research Service published a report titled "Regulations on Lawmakers' Attire in Major Countries' Parliaments," stating, "Recently, controversy has arisen regarding lawmakers' attire in the plenary session," explaining the background of the investigation. This is interpreted as taking the attire controversy surrounding lawmaker Ryu last month as the background for the investigation.

According to the report, attire controversies involving lawmakers attending the National Assembly have occurred not only in South Korea but also several times in major countries' parliaments. These controversies share the common point that the issue arose from lawmakers attending in "non-suit attire."

The Research Service stated, "After several controversies related to lawmakers' attire, the UK House of Commons and the French National Assembly have proactively established codified related regulations," adding, "In the case of our National Assembly as well, efforts are needed to establish a 'minimalist regulation' that clearly defines what attire does not violate the dignity of the National Assembly, aiming to prevent unnecessary controversies that are not essential issues in parliamentary activities."

According to the report, the UK enacted the "House of Commons Code of Conduct and Etiquette" in 2018, which prohibits attire containing slogans or commercial advertisements. The French National Assembly also established the "National Assembly Secretariat Guidelines" in 2018, stipulating that "lawmakers' attire in the plenary session must be neutral casual wear."

On the other hand, parliaments such as those in the United States and Japan do not have codified separate attire regulations, but certain attire is taboo according to customs.

In the United States, customs relaxed after a female CBS reporter was denied lobby access in 2017 for wearing a sleeveless dress, allowing sleeveless clothing and sandals to be worn.

In Japan, it is customary to wear a badge and a necktie on the upper garment in the plenary session, and female lawmakers are also required to wear attire equivalent to this.

The Research Service analyzed, "A notable point is that the parliaments of the UK, France, and Germany commonly strictly prohibit slogans or attire including 'religious symbolism, commercial advertisements, and political views.'"

It also added, "Another characteristic is that controversies surrounding female lawmakers' attire have been raised in connection with allegations of sexism."

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