A South Korean law recently passed by newly elected president Park Geun Hye has upset many of the nation's actresses and pop stars. The law states that revealing too much skin could earn you a $50 fine, but it's unclear exactly what too much skin is.
The law defines indecent exposure as displaying parts of the body that "should remain covered and might cause feelings of embarrassment or discomfort to other people." A clause was dropped forbidding transparent clothing.
While the police say the law has more to do with public nudity than it has to do with revealing clothing, many Koreans remember that the current president's father, Park Chung Hee, banned mini skirts in the 1970s.
In an interview with CNN, Inspector Ko Jun-ho of the National Police Agency, tried to calm misconceptions of the law by saying that "This amendment is for cases like public nudity and public indecency."
The police insist the overexposure fine won't have anything to do with skirt length or revealing outfits and enforcing it will not suddenly turn them into the fashion police.
Still, such statements did little to correct the fears that the law could be interpreted at the discretion of the police.
A tweet by S.K. Democratic party member Ki Sik Kim, asked why the government should be concerned with the way people dress. "This is a reason for concern that we are returning to an era in which hair and skirt length were imposed on us," said the tweet.
Netizens wondered if the law meant the end of short skirts for kpop girl bands? Or if actresses such as Yoon Eun Hye or Kin Tae Hee would no longer be able to show off their great legs by wearing mini skirts?
When singer Lee Hyori heard about the law, she tweeted, "Is the overexposure fine for real? I'm so dead."
In response to the new law, many female celebrities posted pictures of themselves wearing mini skirts online.
Fans may wonder of the new law will affect kdrama fashions, which often show off an actress' legs? Will it restrict love scenes? And more importantly, many fans may wonder whether the law will be the end of those salacious shower scenes in kdramas?
If that were the case, the protest could get ugly.
