WHY DO IDOLS WEAR SCHOOL UNIFORMS?

WHY DO KPOP IDOLS WEAR SCHOOL UNIFORM?

TRIYA CHAKRAVORTY

School uniforms are a quintessential part of Kpop. They resurface again and again: in GFRIEND's storybook styles, EXO's iconic old-school vibe, and even Blackpink's street-style take on the theme. Whether you think they're a rite of passage or a tired sexualisation of children, you can't deny their immense popularity among Kpop artists.

But why is Kpop so obsessed with school uniform?

One of the simplest answers could be that Kpop is young people's music. Uniforms are a unique symbol of youth, and wearing uniform allows artists to connect with the large proportion of student listeners. A 2018 Reddit survey found that 73% of Kpop fans were between the ages of 13-24. In fact, many Kpop idols themselves still go to school - take the JYP star Yuna from Itzy, who debuted at 15, or SHINEE's Taemin, who debuted at just 13.

However, that can't be the only reason. Pop music around the world is loved by young people, but not every country is filled with singers dressed in shirts and knee socks. Another answer may be that South Korea is simply obsessed with education. Amazingly, 70% of Koreans between the ages of 25-34 have had post-school education – which is the highest in the world.

But that statistic is hardly surprising when you see Koreans' attitude towards school. Seoul is packed with 'goshiwon' study rooms, countless study cafes, and 'hagwon' after school academies. Korea holds a fierce tutoring culture - a 2019 study found that 75% of students received some private tutoring. The annual 'suneung' university entrance exams are treated so seriously that banks start trading later, planes grind to a halt, and students can even call a police vehicle to hurry them to exams in emergencies. You might be wondering why the Korean school uniform – which consists of a shirt, blazer, tie and skirt or trousers - has the 'Western' look that it does. The first school uniform in Korea arrived in 1886, in Ehwa Girls' University (now Ehwa Womens' University), but this and its successors over the next twenty years, were firmly hanbok-based.

The 'Western' style uniform worn by Koreans today actually came from those worn in Japan. In 1921, principal Elizabeth Lee of Fukuoka Jo Gakuin University in Japan introduced the 'seifuku' school uniform, meaning 'sailor clothing'. The 'Western' look of these sailor outfits came from the fact that they were largely based on British Navy uniforms at the time. In the 1930s, when Korea was under Japanese rule, the blouse-and-skirt uniform was introduced, along with the sailor uniform.

Kpop idols wear these school uniforms to look attractive, cute and sometimes sexy. However, this raises some concerns: is it wrong to sexualise something largely worn by underage people? Also, these idols don't just wear these uniforms as fashion looks. They are frequently asked to advertise the actual school uniforms students wear. Students purchase their own uniforms from school shops in Korea, and there's a myriad of brands to choose from. It's easy to see why Kpop idols, being extremely popular among young people, would make the perfect representatives for these brands.

However, many of these adverts emphasise looking attractive in uniform, especially for girls, and this is quite controversial. Korean uniform adverts are notorious for offering things to 'turn men’s' heads' or show an attractive 'bodyline'. Many would argue that this isn't something children should worry about, especially when at school. This issue was brought into the spotlight in 2015, when Twice was in a Skoolooks advert for skin-tight 'corset' inspired school uniforms, with the slogan 'Let's See Who Looks Skinnier!' The

ads were taken down soon after their release, but the message was clear: girls should aspire to look as sexually appealing as possible in school uniform.

When it comes to Kpop idols wearing a uniform, the immediate argument is that many idols are underage, so nearly everything they wear could be considered sexualising young people. But the problem is, when idols themselves take part in school uniform adverts, it sends a direct message of how students everywhere - not just idols - are expected to act. A study involving more than 9000 students found that they preferred shorter or tighter uniforms, showing that the message has already had its effect. And this problem is by no means just with a uniform. Kpop stars push particularly female customers to take up everything from exhaustingly long skincare routines to extreme diet programs. But the thing that makes the branding of school uniforms so controversial is that it can only be targeting - and sexualising - children.

However, we mustn't lose hope. Many teen feminists are pushing back. A Korean feminist movement that began in 2018 called 'Escape the Corset' is also joined by schoolgirls, calling for more comfortable and less revealing uniforms, as well as a stop to sexualised uniform adverts. There are many young activists speaking out about this issue, including feminist activist Kang Min-jin who voiced concerns about the paradox of girls being expected to appear 'sexually innocent’ and yet being faced with an 'entertainment world, which... exploits teenage girls in a sexual way'.

In Kpop comebacks this year, I've sensed a shift away from the traditional 'schoolgirl' look and towards runway chic with Itzy's Wannabe, festival-style florals in Twice's More & More, and stark n' dark looks in Seulgi & Irene's Monster. There have been exceptions to this rule, though - notably in TXT's Can't You See Me - but I sincerely hope my suspicions are correct.

School uniforms have been part of some of Kpop's most unforgettable looks, but the sexualising of young people, especially young women, is simply not on. I say as we enter the next generation of Kpop, let's leave school uniforms where they belong - in the classroom.