Figure 1.--Here we see a group of Korean primary school children in a rural area during 1968. They seem to be mostly wearing track suits. Note one boy wearing a caset cap. One boy wears short pants, apparently with tights. Also note the badges that they are wearing. I think those are school badges. |
Our information on Korean schoolwear is very limited. Some Korean primary students wear uniforms. We are unsure, however, just how common this was. There does not appear to be a national school uniform, but rather one chosen by individual schools. I think many of the uniformed schools are private schools. There may also be public schools with uniforms, but we are not sure about this. Some have short pants uniforms, but this may change seasonally. We believe that most primary school chilkdren do not wear uniforns. Here there may be differences between city and rural schools. We do note some boys wearing the cadet style caps. Rather we see the children wearing their own clothes to primary school. Students in secondary schools more commonly wore school uniforms. Boys in the 1970s wore military cadet uniforms as in Japan. I only notice this at secondary schools. They look to b the same style cadet uniforms worn in Japan. This shows the very significant Japanese influence in Korean education. This seems to have been very cimmon. I'm bir sure if it was a national mandate. I'm not sure if this is still the case today. Hopefully Korean readers will provide us more information.
Our information on Korean schoolwear is very limited. Some Korean primary students wear uniforms. We are unsure, however, just how common this was. There does not appear to be a national school uniform, but rather one chosen by individual schools. I think many of the uniformed schools are private schools. There may also be public schools with uniforms, but we are not sure about this.
Some have short pants uniforms, but this may change seasonally. The weather gets very cold in Korea during the Winter.
We believe that most primary school chilkdren do not wear uniforns. This needs to be confirmed. We do note some boys wearing the cadet style caps even though the school did not have a uniform.
Here there may be differences between city and rural schools. Rather we see the children wearing their own clothes to primary school.
Primary schools vary. Some have uniforms, but did not during the 1970s when I was in Korea. I'm not sure about the current situation. most do not. Students in secondary schools more commonly wore school uniforms.
We are not sure how common uniforms are in primary schools, but a number of schools do have them. We see primary scholdren wearing a range of fashionable styles. Korean primary schools are notable for the variation in these uniforms. Japanese school uniforms in contrast are much less varied. We see styles at Korean schools that we have not noted in other countries. Several schools had vest-like garments. Boys in the 1970s wore military cadet uniforms as in Japan. I only notice this at secondary schools. They look to be the same style cadet uniforms worn in Japan. This shows the very significant Japanese influence in Korean education. This seems to have been very common. I'm not sure if it was a national mandate. I'm not sure if this is still the case today. Hopefully Korean readers will provide us more information.
Japanese school children wore both their regular clothes as well as actual uniform garments. Lorean primary uniforms can be quite destinctive. We do not see British-style blazers, but we dont note vest-like jackets. Secondary schools cmmonly use the cadet caps and jackets inherited from the Japanese colonia era. Here there was some bluring of non-uniform and uniform garments, especially with hosiery and footwear. Some schools with uniforms did not have required hosiery and footwear or did not strctly enforce the regulations. A reader writes, " I noted the hosiery the children are wearing at a Korean school. One of the girls is wearing striped knee socks, which I don't think we have
seen before as part of a school uniform. The boys seem to be wearing white tights with shorts, but notice that, in at least one case, the white tights are patterned. I don't believe we have seen patterened tights in Korea or Japan before. Is this an innovation?" We have noted in both Korea and Japan that younger children wore a variety of tights and socks done in both stripes as well as with designs, often catoon characters on them.
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