Korean Etiquette Lesson: What to Wear

There ain't no law in South Korea against lookin' good.
You just gotta know what doesn't fly.

Funny story. I was vacationing with my family in Cebu in the Winter. I was the only North American at the all-Korean resort, a nice little grotto featuring a kidney-shaped pool and access to all tourist amenities and sites such as the famous Alona beach. We'd just gotten back to the resort after a fun day at the beach and it was time for a little relaxation. As soon as I opened my laptop to indulge in a little writing therapy, my Korean brother yelled out, "Leif! Pali-wa! Come swim in the pool!" 

I smiled and ran into my hut to get into my trunks. I came outside in nothing but swim shorts and, smiling and laughing, jumped into the pool. I brought my head up out of my water to see the Korean families in the pool, who had all stopped playing to stare straight at my pasty-pale, bare chest. I cast a confused glance at my Korean brother. He smiled and told me to look at what everyone else was wearing.

In the pool every man, woman and child was fully clothed in specialized swimwear that looked more like SCUBA suits. From neck to thigh, everyone was fully covered, despite the fact that we were in the hot sun of the Philippine island.

I awkwardly climbed out of the pool to put a shirt on, despite the fact that my Korean brother told me not to worry about it. But hey, it's good to know that Koreans have different ideas about what's acceptable in fashion, even in today's global climate of "anything goes" apparel. 

GPTWT's Young-Gun Park gives the low-down on what to do and what not to do when it comes to dressing appropriately in Korea.

NB: These rules become much more relaxed in the bigger cities. 

x  Women should not show cleavage in public. Even exposing collarbone might even be pushing it. 
✓ But it's fine to wear skirts and shorts that would be considered too short in Western countries. Even young women wear them.

✓ Most casual Western clothing styles are acceptable in Korea.
x Neither men nor women should show torso publicly. That includes midriffs for ladies and unbutton collared shirts for gentlemen. Bare shoulders are pushing it. 

✓ At the beach, it is common to go into the ocean wearing casual clothing.
x You won't find many bikinis. Koreans are very shy when it comes to showing skin in public. 

Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments!

Also, check out our other Korean Etiquette posts. 
Coming soon!

Young-Gun Park

Young-Gun Park has been studying various forms of visual arts for more than a decade and has been involved in various community arts projects. He has been a writer and photographer for GPTWT for more than a year. His future portfolio projects include work in cinematography and graphic novels.