Presidential hairstyles: The politics of women political leaders’ appearance in the Korean media

Abstract

ABSTRACT South Korea's 2016 and 2017 candlelight protests against the actions of President Park Geun-Hye were subjects of global news and portrayed as proof of democracy in action. During these protests, South Korean newspapers focused on the hairstyles of Park and acting Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court Lee Jung-mi. This study traces how the appearance of Park and her hairstyle were represented by the media between the 1970s and 2017. In doing so, these reveal that not only the conservative but progressive media, too, limited its discussion on Park's neoliberal developmental femininity while talking about her seemingly anachronistic femininity, thus foreclosing further debate on the patriarchal basis of her femininity during democratic transformation. The study outcomes, wherein gender was not regarded as the main issue during South Korea’s transition to substantial democracy, imply that the coverage of Park's impeachment did not necessarily symbolize democracy in action. This study further contributes to feminist media and Asian women's studies by critically assessing how the South Korean media's gendered representation of these women's bodies and hairstyles reflects a legacy of developmentalism, a new neoliberal gender regime, and persistent misogyny.