[Current & Culture] The Power of Fashion

The controversy surrounding First Lady Kim Jung-sook's clothing and accessories persisted throughout the past month, though it has now somewhat subsided. The Korea Taxpayers Federation demanded disclosure, suspecting that the Blue House's special activity funds (teukhwalbi) were used to procure Kim Jung-sook's outfits, but the Blue House refused and the matter eventually went to court. The court ruled that the Blue House must disclose the special activity funds, but the Blue House appealed the decision citing diplomatic and security reasons and stated that no special activity funds were used for Kim Jung-sook's clothing.

Among the various clothes and jewelry, the leopard-shaped brooch attracted the most attention. There were conflicting claims that it was a luxury Cartier product worth around 200 million won and that it was a cheap counterfeit. Some argued that wearing a counterfeit item would also be problematic. Experts analyzed it as an unidentified product imitating Cartier, and eventually, the maker of the brooch appeared and explained that it was an original creation unrelated to Cartier.

Watching the controversy over Kim Jung-sook's brooch reminded me of a foreign politician who recently passed away: Madeleine Albright, who served as a diplomat and Secretary of State in the United States. She is regarded as a great leader who directed U.S. diplomacy amid the chaotic international relations following the Cold War. Albright was famous for her so-called "brooch diplomacy." When Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi president defeated in the Gulf War, called her a venomous snake, she appeared at a UN meeting wearing a snake brooch and gracefully shrugged off the criticism. When she visited South Korea during the Kim Dae-jung administration, she wore a sun brooch to show support for the Sunshine Policy. She conveyed various messages through her brooches, and at some point, reporters began analyzing the meanings behind her brooches. Since politics and diplomacy are battles of messaging, she essentially fought with an additional weapon that others did not have.

In the same vein, I was more curious whether Kim Jung-sook's brooch was an appropriate accessory for the occasion rather than whether it was an expensive luxury item or a cheap product. The brooch in question was worn at an event where she watched the Indian film Dangal with Indian students. I also enjoyed Dangal quite a bit; it is a film based on the true story of sisters who succeeded as wrestlers in India, where women's rights are poor. Secretary Tak Hyun-min explained that since India is a country interested in tigers, a brooch of a similar animal was chosen, and if that was the intention, that is fortunate. Of course, many people do not believe this and call it a forced excuse. Would there have been no controversy if it had been an elephant brooch, the symbolic animal of India, that anyone could recognize?

For reference, the brooches worn by Secretary Albright were not luxury or counterfeit items but unique, inexpensive products. Also, although many people think of Albright as quite physically imposing, her height is actually among the shortest of U.S. politicians, reportedly under 150 centimeters. I remember when I was young, seeing her and thinking that her brooches must be very expensive and that she was physically large, perhaps because she was American. It was an illusion created by her aura.

Even if not to the extent of Secretary Albright, and not necessarily limited to women's brooches, I hope to see fashion imbued with metaphor and symbolism in Korean politics as well. Not the blatant and direct attire seen at National Assembly audits or protests, but the power of fashion.

Lee Jae-ik, Novelist

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